Video: Vinícius Jr. scores for Real Madrid, but VAR disallows goal and sends him off for pulling hair

Vinícius Jr. thought he had doubled Real Madrid’s lead against Villarreal on Saturday, but the goal did not stand. After a VAR review, the goal was disallowed and the Brazilian was sent off for pulling the hair of Villarreal’s Nathan-Dylan Saliba, a decision that left Real Madrid with ten men at the Santiago Bernabéu.

Vinícius began the LaLiga match on the bench, and Mourinho brought him on in the 51st minute in place of Trent Alexander-Arnold. The match was still goalless at that point, and Real Madrid had been struggling to break through until Yan Diomande opened the scoring in the 62nd minute.

In the 71st minute, Vinícius finished off a fast counterattack with a right-footed shot from the center of the box after an assist from Jude Bellingham, which seemed to make it 2-0. However, referee Isidro Díaz de Mera was sent to the monitor by the VAR, and after the review he decided to disallow the goal because Vinícius had pulled an opponent’s hair at the start of the move, an action for which he was also sent off.

The dismissal adds to a difficult stretch for Vinícius, who had scored just one goal in his first seven LaLiga games this season. It also puts Real Madrid in a tough spot as it looks to stay in the title race, knowing that only a win will keep it from falling further behind Barcelona.

Real Madrid stays in touch with Barcelona

Even with ten men, Real Madrid held on for a 1-0 win over Villarreal. The visitors pushed late, but the hosts defended the lead, with Diomande’s strike proving enough. The victory lifts Mourinho’s side to 18 points, although it remains a considerable distance behind Barcelona.

Hansi Flick’s side beat Getafe 3-0 with goals from Gordon, Gabriel Jesús and Koundé to improve to eight wins from eight and 24 points, which leaves Real Madrid six points behind. Atlético Madrid also remains firmly in the fight, sitting second with 19 points after a 2-1 win over Alavés.

For the next match, against Sevilla on October 18, Real Madrid will be without Vinícius, but it will look to build on the strong form of Diomande, who scored his first goal for the club and was named MVP of the Villarreal match.