Vinicius Junior saw a goal ruled out and received a red card after a VAR review during Real Madrid’s La Liga fixture against Villarreal on Saturday. The incident unfolded shortly after the winger came on as a substitute in the 52nd minute, with Real Madrid leading 1-0.
Vinicius appeared to double Real Madrid’s advantage when he tapped in a cutback from Jude Bellingham inside the penalty area. Manager José Mourinho sprinted across the pitch to celebrate the goal. However, the goal was quickly overturned after VAR intervened.
The review revealed that Vinicius had pulled Villarreal defender Nathan Saliba by the hair during the build-up to the goal. This foul led the referee to not only disallow the goal but also send Vinicius off with a straight red card. The referee’s post-match report included a note about Vinicius’ angry reaction to the decision, which could affect the length of his suspension.
Vinicius, 26, is currently serving a one-to-three-match ban for the foul. If the ban lasts two matches, he will miss Real Madrid’s La Liga trip to Barcelona on October 25th. This suspension comes at a difficult time for the winger, who has scored just once in nine appearances this season and has seen his playing time reduced under Mourinho. After starting the first six matches and playing over 80 minutes in each, he was substituted earlier in recent games and dropped to the bench for the Villarreal match.
Despite the setback in La Liga, Vinicius remains eligible for Real Madrid’s upcoming Champions League fixtures. The team travels to AS Roma on Wednesday before hosting RB Leipzig the following week, and Vinicius is expected to be available for both games. The suspension applies only to domestic matches, allowing him to continue contributing in Europe.
The red card incident adds to a challenging period for Vinicius, who was heavily linked with a transfer to Arsenal during the summer before signing a contract extension with Real Madrid. Mourinho’s faith in the winger appears to be waning, with the manager substituting him earlier in matches against Elche and Atletico Madrid before leaving him on the bench against Villarreal.
Real Madrid currently hold a narrow lead over Villarreal in the match, and the dismissal of Vinicius leaves them to manage the remainder of the game with ten men. The situation highlights ongoing questions about Vinicius’ form and discipline as he seeks to regain his place and impact in Mourinho’s side.
According to Yahoo Sports.
