Vinicius red card puts his El Clasico place in doubt
Vinicius Junior was sent off in Real Madrid's 1-0 LaLiga win over Villarreal for pulling a player's hair, and a ban of two matches or more would keep him out of El Clasico.
Per ESPN, Vinicius Junior was sent off in the 72nd minute of Real Madrid's 1-0 LaLiga win over Villarreal on 10 October, after a VAR check for pulling Nathan Saliba's hair. A ban of two matches or more would rule him out of El Clasico, ESPN reports.
A benching before the red card
Per ESPN, Jose Mourinho left Vinicius out of the starting XI, and Yan Diomande started on the left wing instead. Vinicius came on around the 52nd minute, with the score still 0-0, in the 10 October meeting at the Bernabeu.
Before kick-off, Mourinho said it saddened him that Vinicius wants to be the player who wins games, and said fans influenced by the media were not helping him, ESPN reports. Per ESPN, Vinicius has one goal in eight appearances for Real Madrid this season, and one goal in 192 minutes for Brazil across two internationals, against Australia and India, in the previous two weeks.
| Vinicius Junior, this season and recent internationals | Figure |
|---|---|
| Real Madrid goals this season | 1 in 8 appearances |
| Brazil goals | 1 in 192 minutes (2 games) |
How the match turned
Per ESPN, Yan Diomande scored the winner in the 62nd minute, his first goal for Real Madrid, after a VAR check overturned an offside flag. Federico Valverde made the pass.
Vinicius also appeared to score from Jude Bellingham's breakaway pass, but VAR ruled that goal out for a foul in the build-up. ESPN notes that the goal would have made it 2-0. Per ESPN, he was then sent off in the 72nd minute, after a VAR check, for pulling Saliba's hair. The red card came just over 20 minutes after he had come on.
The referee's report says Vinicius disputed the card, shouting and moving towards the referee aggressively, and had to be restrained by teammates, ESPN reports.
Reaction and what was said
Vinicius apologised afterwards. Per ESPN, he said:
"The joy remains. Sorry to my team and the fans."
Per ESPN, Aurelien Tchouameni told Real Madrid TV that he did not understand what was happening with the referees and the red card. Villarreal's Juan Foyth said he did not think Vinicius meant to hurt anyone, "but it is a red card." Mourinho skipped the post-match press conference, ESPN reports.
Per ESPN, Real Madrid are third in LaLiga with 18 points from eight games, one point behind Atletico Madrid and six behind leaders Barcelona. Villarreal sit 11th with 8 points from eight matches, a record of two wins, two draws and four defeats.
| LaLiga | Position | Points | Games |
|---|---|---|---|
| Real Madrid | 3rd | 18 | 8 |
| Villarreal | 11th | 8 | 8 |
The ban is still open
Per El Espanol, the Spanish federation's disciplinary panel has yet to set Vinicius's ban, and Spanish reporting expects two to three matches. ESPN reports the panel is expected to confirm the punishment this week. No length has been set, so the two-to-three figure is an expectation only.
ESPN reports Real Madrid host Sevilla on 18 October and visit Barcelona for El Clasico on 25 October. The panel's decision will settle whether the Clasico is in or out of his plans.
| Date | Fixture | Venue for Real Madrid |
|---|---|---|
| 10 October | Real Madrid 1-0 Villarreal | Home (Bernabeu) |
| 18 October | Real Madrid v Sevilla | Home |
| 25 October | Barcelona v Real Madrid (El Clasico) | Away |
What to watch
The panel's ruling is the first marker. Real Madrid face Sevilla on 18 October before the Clasico on 25 October, currently six points behind leaders Barcelona.