Vinícius red card for hair pull clouds Diomandé's first Real Madrid goal in Villarreal win

Yan Diomandé scored his first Real Madrid goal to secure a 1-0 win over Villarreal on Saturday, 10 October, only for the result to be overshadowed by Vinícius Júnior’s dismissal for pulling Villarreal defender Nathan Saliba’s hair. The victory left Madrid six points behind La Liga leaders Barcelona.

Diomandé breaks the deadlock

José Mourinho had kept Vinícius on the bench, the winger returning from international duty with Brazil. Madrid were subdued in the first half, though Kylian Mbappé struck the post and later forced a save from Villarreal goalkeeper Peter Gulácsi.

The breakthrough arrived after the interval. Federico Valverde played Diomandé into space, and the summer arrival — described by The Guardian as the club’s record signing — finished low into the far corner for his first goal in a Real Madrid shirt. It proved to be the decisive moment in a tight league contest.

Red card threatens Clásico place

Vinícius came off the bench and appeared to have doubled the lead after Jude Bellingham drove down the left and cut the ball back. Referee Isidro Díaz de Mera Escuderos reviewed the incident on the pitchside monitor after VAR flagged the hair pull on Saliba, then disallowed the goal and sent off the Brazilian.

Real Madrid midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni questioned the circumstances of the decision while acknowledging the importance of the three points, according to The Guardian. Madrid held on with 10 men, with Thibaut Courtois producing a late acrobatic save to deny Carlos Romero.

The win provisionally lifted Madrid to third in La Liga. Vinícius now faces the possibility of a suspension that could rule him out of the Clásico against Barcelona on 25 October, though no official outcome had been confirmed at the time of reporting. The dismissal also renews scrutiny of his role under Mourinho after he began the match on the bench.