Real Madrid beat Villarreal as Vinícius is sent off

Real Madrid beat Villarreal 1-0 on Saturday to move provisionally into third place in La Liga, but the victory was overshadowed by Vinícius Júnior’s dismissal after a VAR review. The winger had an apparent goal disallowed before being sent off for pulling Villarreal midfielder Nathan Saliba’s hair during the buildup. Yan Diomande scored the only goal in the 62nd minute, finishing a pass from Federico Valverde with a low shot. It was Diomande’s first goal for Real Madrid. The hosts held on with 10 men through the closing stages to secure three points. Vinícius, who came on as a second-half substitute, appeared to double Madrid’s lead after Jude Bellingham cut the ball back to him. The goal was ruled out after the referee reviewed the incident on the pitch following a VAR intervention. The review showed Vinícius pulling Saliba’s hair, and the referee showed him a red card. The result left Real Madrid six points behind league leaders Barcelona, which beat Getafe 3-0 earlier Saturday. Barcelona had won all eight of its league matches, according to the reports.