Diomande Strikes As Vinicius Sees Red

Diomande's first Real Madrid goal

Yan Diomande scored the only goal as Real Madrid beat Villarreal 1-0 at the Bernabéu, his first for the club since joining from RB Leipzig in August in a deal worth up to £120m.

The 19-year-old struck in the 62nd minute, finishing across the goalkeeper after a through ball from Federico Valverde. The assistant referee flagged for offside, but a VAR review overturned the decision and the goal stood.

Vinicius sent off for pulling hair

Real were already ahead when Vinicius Jr, who came on in the 52nd minute for Trent Alexander-Arnold, appeared to score a second goal, with Mourinho running to the touchline to celebrate with him.

The celebrations were short-lived. VAR flagged the build-up, and after checking the pitchside monitor the referee saw that Vinicius had pulled Nathan Saliba back by the hair in midfield. The goal was disallowed and Vinicius was shown a straight red card for violent conduct in the 72nd minute.

Vinicius apologised to the team and fans on Instagram. He faces a possible suspension that could rule him out of the Clasico against Barcelona on 25 October.

Mourinho skips press conference

Mourinho did not attend the post-match press conference. Reports said he wanted to avoid a possible suspension after the incident. Real Madrid reportedly backed his decision, according to Marca.

"I've been waiting for that first goal"

Speaking to Real Madrid TV, Diomande said: "I'm happy. I've been waiting for that first goal for a long time." He added: "It was a good game. We always play to win, and today we did. I am happy with the victory."

On playing at the Bernabéu, he said: "It's always great to play here. It's the most beautiful stadium in the world and the greatest club." Describing the finish, he said: "In that position, I think the only option was to control, turn, and shoot."

Real six points off the top

With eight games played, Real Madrid are third on 18 points, one behind Atlético Madrid and six behind leaders Barcelona, who have 24. Mourinho's side visit Barcelona on 25 October.

Result

* Real Madrid 1-0 Villarreal