Yan Diomande scored the only goal as Real Madrid beat Villarreal 1-0 on Saturday, although winger Vinicius Junior was sent off for pulling a player’s hair. The result kept Madrid six points behind La Liga leaders Barcelona.
Vinicius, who came on as a substitute, had scored, but his goal was disallowed. A VAR review showed he had pulled the hair of Villarreal’s Nathan Saliba, and referee Isidro Diaz de Mera dismissed the Brazil international.
Madrid hold on with ten men at the Bernabeu
Jose Mourinho’s side battled through the final stages with 10 men and held on to win. The victory moved Madrid provisionally into third place in the table.
Madrid’s Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois made an acrobatic stop to deny Carlos Romero late on. Kylian Mbappe was also denied again, this time by Villarreal goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi, as he left the stadium frustrated in his search for goals.
Mbappe’s return draws mixed reaction from fans
Mbappe was fit to start after a knee problem he suffered while playing for France during the international break. Some fans whistled at the forward, with some believing he has been unprofessional in recent weeks, while others applauded him.
Mbappe, a candidate for the Ballon d’Or later this month, was Madrid’s most threatening player in the first half, though he had little competition. He struck the post from a layoff by Alvaro Carreras as Madrid pushed Villarreal back early on.
Villarreal soon gained a foothold, however, and restricted Madrid’s chances. Madrid’s display drew some mild whistling from supporters at half-time.
Diomande’s first goal and the wider title race
Diomande, the Ivorian winger and Madrid’s record signing at 140 million euros ($157m), secured the win after a sharp low finish into the far corner. Federico Valverde had played him in with good work.
Mourinho had left Vinicius on the bench, following his trips to Australia and India with Brazil during the international break. Vinicius had been in poor form before the match.
Barcelona, the reigning champions, lead La Liga after a 3-0 win over Getafe. Atletico Madrid are five points behind in second after edging Alaves 2-1.
