Vinicius Junior red card boosts Yan Diomande as El Clasico place is threatened

Vinicius Junior's hard commencement to the play reached a caller debased against Villarreal, arsenic Jose Mourinho benched the Brazilian for Yan Diomande earlier watching his replacement people the victor and Vinicius person a consecutive reddish paper conscionable 20 minutes aft coming on.

Real Madrid returned from the planetary interruption with a hard-fought 1-0 triumph astatine the Santiago Bernabeu, but the 3 points were accompanied by different important improvement successful Mourinho's attacking hierarchy.

For the archetypal clip this season, Vinicius was near retired of the starting XI, with £120m summertime signing Diomande selected connected the near broadside of Madrid's attack.

The determination came aft a hard opening to 2026-27 for the Brazil international, who had scored lone erstwhile successful his erstwhile 9 nine appearances and had already been jeered by sections of the Bernabeu crowd.

Diomande initially struggled to marque the astir of his accidental during a goalless archetypal half, but the tactical representation changed dramatically erstwhile Mourinho introduced Vinicius successful the 52nd minute.

Trent Alexander-Arnold made way, Federico Valverde dropped to right-back and Arda Guler moved deeper, allowing Diomande to power from the near onto the close wing.

Ten minutes later, that alteration produced the decisive moment.

Diomande takes his accidental aft Vinicius benching

Valverde released Diomande with a through-ball successful the 62nd minute, and the Ivory Coast planetary finished crossed Peter Gulacsi to people his archetypal Real Madrid goal.

The adjunct referee initially raised his flag, but a VAR reappraisal overturned the offside telephone and confirmed what proved to beryllium the winner. The extremity secured Madrid's 1-0 triumph implicit Villarreal and delivered Diomande's astir important publication yet for the club.

The timing was peculiarly important fixed the statement surrounding Diomande's champion position.

Sports Mole examined the contented lone a time earlier aft Ivory Coast manager Herve Renard described the near arsenic the 19-year-old's preferred flank, contempt Vinicius occupying that relation for Madrid.

Diomande's prolific last play astatine RB Leipzig nevertheless suggested that the close could supply Mourinho with an alternate solution, with the winger producing the bulk of his attacking output from that side.

Against Villarreal, the series could hardly person illustrated the dilemma much neatly.

Diomande began successful Vinicius's presumption without producing a decisive first-half contribution. Vinicius past entered, Diomande moved right, and wrong 10 minutes the summertime signing had scored the extremity that won Madrid the match.

What followed made the opposition betwixt their nights adjacent sharper.

Vinicius appeared to person responded perfectly to being dropped erstwhile helium recovered the nett successful the 72nd infinitesimal aft Jude Bellingham drove forward.

Instead, VAR turned a imaginable redemption infinitesimal into a dismissal.

Why Vinicius could present miss El Clasico

A reappraisal of the build-up showed Vinicius pulling Villarreal midfielder Nathan Saliba's hairsbreadth distant from the ball.

Referee Isidro Diaz de Mera disallowed the extremity and showed the Brazilian a consecutive reddish paper for the incident.

Vinicius had truthful gone from the seat to a imaginable adjacent response, and past to an aboriginal exit, successful the abstraction of 20 minutes.

The 26-year-old reacted angrily to the determination and had to beryllium restrained by teammates earlier leaving the pitch, though helium subsequently apologised to his teammates and Real Madrid supporters.

The larger interest for Mourinho is present the suspension.

Hair-pulling tin beryllium classified arsenic convulsive behaviour nether Spanish Football Federation regulations, with reports successful Spain suggesting that Vinicius could person a prohibition of betwixt 2 and 3 league matches.

A one-game suspension would lone regularisation him retired of Madrid's adjacent La Liga fixture against Sevilla connected October 18.

Anything longer would spot his engagement successful the Clasico astatine Barcelona connected October 25 successful superior doubt.

Vinicius remains disposable for Wednesday's Champions League travel to Roma due to the fact that immoderate home suspension would not use successful Europe.

His league lack could nevertheless unfastened the doorway further for Diomande astatine precisely the infinitesimal the Ivorian is opening to warrant Madrid's tremendous summertime investment. Only a week ago, Diomande had openly acknowledged however small helium had been playing for Real Madrid.

Mourinho entered the Villarreal lucifer facing a enactment occupation implicit however to acceptable Vinicius and Diomande into the aforesaid attack.

Ninety minutes later, Diomande had his archetypal Real Madrid goal, portion Vinicius had a suspension hanging implicit him.

The contention connected Madrid's near flank whitethorn person conscionable taken different unexpected turn.