Diomande Scores First Goal as Madrid Beat Villarreal 1-0; Vinicius Sent Off

Real Madrid secured a 1-0 victory over Villarreal at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday, moving provisionally into third place in LaLiga. Nineteen-year-old winger Yan Diomande scored his first goal for the club in the 63rd minute, finishing a move started by Federico Valverde after coming on at right-back.

Manager Jose Mourinho dropped Vinicius Junior to the bench following his international travels with Brazil, handing Diomande a surprise start. The Brazilian entered as a substitute in the 52nd minute but was dismissed in the 72nd after VAR confirmed he pulled the hair of Villarreal defender Nathan Saliba.

“I don't know what's going on with the referees, with this red card, I don't understand, but the most important thing is the victory.”

Madrid played the final 18 minutes with ten men and survived late pressure to claim three points. The win leaves them six points behind leaders Barcelona, who beat Getafe 3-0, and five behind second-placed Atletico Madrid.

Kylian Mbappe started after recovering from a knee issue sustained on France duty and hit the post in the first half. Thibaut Courtois kept a clean sheet with minimal saves required as Villarreal dominated possession but created few clear chances.

Midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni criticised the officiating after the match, while Mourinho reiterated complaints about refereeing decisions from the previous Madrid derby defeat.