Real Madrid's 1-0 win over Villarreal came at a steep price, with Vinicius Junior sent off in the second half and now facing a suspension that could rule him out of El Clasico against Barcelona later this month.
The Brazilian winger was shown a straight red card in the 71st minute after referee Isidro Diaz de Mera reviewed the incident on the pitchside monitor. VAR had intervened after Vinicius appeared to pull the hair of Villarreal midfielder Nathan Saliba in the build-up to what he thought was a second goal for Los Blancos — the strike was disallowed and the winger dismissed.
A red card that changed the evening
Vinicius came off the bench against the Yellow Submarine and thought he had doubled Madrid's advantage when he found the net midway through the second half. But replays showed the forward tugging at Saliba's hair as he broke towards goal, prompting a VAR check that wiped out the goal and ended his evening early.
The referee's official report is now the decisive document. According to Mundo Deportivo, it states that Vinicius pulled an opponent's hair while the ball was in play, even though neither player was challenging for possession — a distinction that matters enormously under the Spanish Football Federation's disciplinary code.
Why the ban could stretch to El Clasico
This is where Real Madrid's worries begin. Under Article 130 of the Spanish disciplinary regulations, violent conduct away from the immediate action of play can attract a suspension of two to three matches. And Vinicius' problems may not end there: the referee also reported the winger's furious reaction after the dismissal, noting he continued protesting loudly and approached the official aggressively, needing to be restrained by his team-mates.
If the Disciplinary Committee stacks the two incidents together when it meets on Wednesday, the ban could stretch to four matches. A two-match suspension alone would be enough to rule him out of El Clasico — Real Madrid travel to face Sevilla at the Bernabeu next weekend before heading to Camp Nou on October 25.
A selection headache for Mourinho
The timing could hardly be worse for Jose Mourinho. El Clasico is the fixture that defines a season in Spain, and losing the one attacker who can single-handedly stretch a defence is a hammer blow. According to Heavy, Spanish outlet COPE believes the two-match minimum will be applied, which would already end his Clasico hopes.
Mbappe has been carrying the goalscoring burden this season, but Mourinho's system is built on having both wing threats available — remove one, and Barcelona's full-backs can double up on the other.
Vinicius has since apologised to his team-mates and supporters on social media, while also hinting on Instagram that he feels unfairly targeted by officials. It is an unhelpful subplot for a player who remains one of world football's most fouled — and most scrutinised — stars.
Beyond the Final Whistle: Real Madrid will hold their breath until the Disciplinary Committee's verdict on Wednesday, but the smart money says Vinicius Junior will be watching El Clasico from the stands rather than tearing down Barcelona's flank. Was the punishment the right call, or is Vini being singled out? Have your say below.
