Real Madrid Edges Villarreal 1-0 Despite Late Red Card for Vinicius Junior

Yan Diomande secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory for Real Madrid against Villarreal on Saturday, keeping his side six points behind La Liga leaders Barcelona, even as substitute winger Vinicius Junior received a red card for pulling hair.

Brazil international Vinicius thought he had scored to double the lead, but his goal was disallowed after a VAR review showed he had pulled the hair of Villarreal’s Nathan Saliba. Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid squad was forced to battle through the final minutes with 10 men, ultimately holding on to secure the three points and move provisionally into third place.

League leaders Barcelona maintained their position following a 3-0 win over Getafe, while Atletico Madrid sit five points behind in second place after narrowly defeating Alaves 2-1.

Striker Kylian Mbappe was cleared to start for Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium despite managing a knee issue picked up while playing for France during the international break. The star forward received a mixed reception of whistles and applause from supporters before becoming Real Madrid's most dangerous attacking threat in the first half.

Jose Mourinho opted to bench the out-of-form Vinicius following his extensive travel with Brazil to Australia and India during the international break. While Real Madrid showed defensive improvement by limiting Villarreal's opportunities, they struggled to generate significant offense in a quiet opening half.

Mbappe came closest early on by striking the post following an assist from Alvaro Carreras. Villarreal briefly regained control before Mbappe forced a sharp save from goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi.

Although home fans expressed mild frustration with a half-time whistle, they soon celebrated a breakthrough when summer signing Yan Diomande scored his first goal for the club. The Ivorian winger, acquired as a record 140 million euro ($157m) signing, delivered a precise low shot into the far corner after receiving a setup from Federico Valverde.

Vinicius later thought he had extended the lead following a buildup involving Jude Bellingham, but referee Isidro Diaz de Mera reviewed the incident on VAR, resulting in the Brazilian's dismissal and the cancellation of the goal.

Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois preserved the clean sheet with an acrobatic save against Carlos Romero, while Mbappe was denied once more by goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi as Real Madrid successfully defended their narrow lead to claim three vital points.