Real Madrid Defeats Villarreal 1-0 Despite Vinicius Junior’s Red Card

Real Madrid won a close match against Villarreal, finishing 1-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium on October 10, 2026. The victory keeps Madrid six points behind La Liga leaders Barcelona.

Brazilian forward Vinicius Junior, who came on as a substitute, had a goal disallowed and was later sent off after a video review showed he pulled the hair of Villarreal’s Nathan Saliba. His dismissal left Madrid to finish the match with ten players.

Despite the setback, Real Madrid managed to hold on for the win. The team is currently in third place, while Barcelona leads the league after a 3-0 victory against Getafe.

Kylian Mbappe returned to the starting lineup after recovering from a knee issue. He faced mixed reactions from fans, some cheering for him while others expressed disappointment. Mbappe was the most dangerous player for Madrid in the first half, though he struggled to score.

The match started slowly, with both teams having few chances. However, Ivorian winger Yan Diomande scored his first goal for Madrid, giving them the lead after a good setup from Federico Valverde.

Vinicius thought he had scored again to double the lead, but the referee overturned it after reviewing the incident that led to his red card. Madrid’s goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois made several key saves to keep Villarreal from equalizing.