Diomande gives Real Madrid a 1–0 win as Vinícius is sent off after VAR review

Yan Diomande scored the only goal as Real Madrid beat Villarreal 1–0 in Saturday’s LaLiga match. The win left Madrid six points behind league leaders Barcelona, according to AFP. Vinícius Júnior came on in the second half and thought he had scored, but a VAR review ruled out the goal after he pulled Villarreal defender Nathan Saliba’s hair in the buildup. The referee showed him a straight red. Madrid played the final 25 minutes with ten men and held on for the win. Sources: [Real Madrid match report](https://www.realmadrid.com/en-US/news/football/first-team/reports/cronica-real-madrid-villarreal-j8-liga-10-10-2026) · [AFP via The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/oct/10/real-madrids-vinicius-junior-sent-off-for-hair-pulling-in-victory-over-villarreal) Image: Yan Diomande celebrates. Photo by Antonio Villalba, María Jiménez and David S. Bustamante / Real Madrid. ~football ~LaLiga ~RealMadrid