Real Madrid edge Villarreal; Diomande scores, Vinícius sent off
Jan Diomande scored his debut goal, but Vinícius Júnior had a goal disallowed and received a straight red for pulling an opponent's hair.
Real Madrid scraped a 1-0 victory over Villarreal at the Santiago Bernabéu on October 10, 2026, in the eighth round of La Liga, but the win was overshadowed by a bizarre dismissal late in the match.
Decisive debut, dramatic send-off
Jan Diomande provided the only goal of the game in the 62nd minute, scoring his first for Real and securing the three points for the home side. The strike proved enough to separate the teams in a tight contest.
In the 71st minute Vinícius Júnior appeared to make it 2-0, but VAR intervened and the goal was wiped out after review. Referees penalised Vinícius for grabbing an opponent's hair during the build-up, and he received a straight red card.
The dismissal stunned players and spectators alike and drew a visible reaction from José Mourinho on the touchline. The sending-off left Real to see out the match with ten men, though they held on for victory.
The result leaves Real Madrid six points behind league leaders Barcelona in the early season standings.
On social media, match clips and reactions circulated widely. Goals Xtra posted: "José Mourinho's joy and rage in just a few seconds! 🤨🙄 https://t.co/1dyM16XiIG" and also wrote: "🟥 UNBELIEVABLE DRAMA! VINÍCIUS JÚNIOR HAS HIS GOAL DISALLOWED AND IS SHOWN A STRAIGHT RED CARD FOR PULLING AN OPPONENT'S HAIR! SENT OFF IN ABSOLUTE DISBEHELIEF! https://t.co/KgAood1m9D"
Photo: .facebook.com\/RealMadrid\/
