Hair pulling incident costs Vinícius in Madrid's tight win over Villarreal
Vinícius Júnior was sent off for pulling Nathan Saliba's hair, threatening his availability for the Barcelona fixture.
Real Madrid beat Villarreal 1-0 but winger Vinícius Júnior was sent off for hair pulling, after a VAR review showed him pulling the hair of Villarreal defender Nathan Saliba. Vinícius had scored a goal moments earlier, but it was disallowed due to the incident.
The red card means he faces a potential ban that could keep him out of El Clásico against Barcelona on 25 October. Yan Diomandé scored Madrid's winning goal.
Madrid played the final stages with ten men but held on to stay six points behind La Liga leaders Barcelona. Kylian Mbappé started for Madrid after recovering from a knee injury suffered with France during the international break.
The dismissal left a bitter taste despite the victory.
- Real Madrid 1-0 Villarreal
- Final score
- 6 points
- Points behind Barcelona
- Nathan Saliba
- Vinícius's victim
- 25 October
- El Clásico date
Why it mattersThe ban could reshape Real Madrid's attacking setup for a crucial El Clásico fixture at a tight stage of the title race.
AustraliaNo direct Australian effect yet, but Vinícius's potential absence shapes one of football's biggest rivalries.
Corroborated bybbc.com
✓ Claims checked against the source. checked 1 h ago
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