VAR drama changes Real Madrid's lead against Villarreal

Real Madrid won on Saturday evening in the 8th round of LaLiga with a single goal against Villarreal, after a second strike by Vinícius Júnior was disallowed and the Brazilian then received a red card. Yan Diomande opened the scoring after more than an hour of play, but the match took an unexpected turn via the VAR. Dean Huijsen missed the match due to a suspension.

Diomande breaks the deadlock

In the second half Yan Diomande received the ball just inside the penalty area, struck low into the far corner and initially saw his goal being reviewed by the VAR. The referee then pointed to the centre spot, confirming the goal and putting Real Madrid ahead 1‑0.

Vinícius Júnior’s goal is overturned and he is sent off

Nine minutes later Vinícius Júnior received an excellent pass, was one‑on‑one with the goalkeeper and calmly placed the ball in the net. The celebration was short‑lived: the VAR spotted a foul in the build‑up and the goal was disallowed. Immediately afterwards the Brazilian was shown a red card for pulling an opponent’s hair, forcing Real Madrid to play with ten men.

Villarreal tried to force an equaliser in the closing stages, but failed to do so. Despite the absence of Dean Huijsen, the Madrid side held on to the narrow lead and secured an important victory.

According to the match report, Vinícius Júnior began on the bench, alongside Endrick, and only entered the starting lineup six minutes after halftime. José Mourinho selected Yan Diomande, a recently signed Moroccan striker, for €125 million. Diomande, who previously played as a right‑back, was deployed by Mourinho as Vinícius’s replacement.

The match took place at the Santiago Bernabéu and was characterised by a lively first half with few chances, followed by a dramatic second half in which the VAR intervened twice. Real Madrid left the field without Huijsen, but with a hefty dose of tension as the winners.