Yan Diomande’s 62nd-minute goal gave Real Madrid a 1-0 win over Villarreal at the Santiago Bernabéu, but Vinícius Júnior was sent off in the 72nd minute for pulling Nathan Saliba’s hair. Madrid stay six points behind La Liga leaders Barcelona.
Madrid, Spain: José Mourinho’s Real Madrid won a match that threatened to slip away from them. Diomande’s goal decided it at the Bernabéu on Saturday, but the night’s talking point was Vinícius Júnior, whose red card left the hosts defending a one-goal lead with ten men.
Diomande gets the nod
Mourinho left Vinícius out of his starting line-up and picked Diomande, who repaid the faith in the 62nd minute. Federico Valverde supplied a through ball, and Diomande finished to put Madrid in front.
Vinícius’s disallowed goal, then the red
Vinícius came on in the 52nd minute and looked to have doubled the lead, scoring from a Jude Bellingham cut-back. But VAR reviewed the build-up and found that he had pulled Saliba’s hair at the start of the move. Referee Díaz de Mera ruled the goal out, then showed a straight red card in the 72nd minute, and Madrid spent the final stretch a man down.
Holding on
The red card did not change the scoreline. Madrid collected five yellow cards on top of the dismissal, Mourinho was cautioned, and Villarreal could not turn their numerical advantage into a goal. The win keeps Madrid in touch with Barcelona in the title race Mourinho and Hansi Flick set out to win, after a 4-0 win over Málaga earlier in the season.
Result: Real Madrid 1, Villarreal 0 (La Liga, Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid, Saturday, 10 October 2026).
Scorer: Diomande 62′ (assist: Valverde).
Red card: Vinícius Júnior (Real Madrid), 72′.
