Furious Jose Mourinho boycotts press conference to avoid ban after controversial Vinicius Jr red card in Real Madrid’s win over Villarreal
Lost amidst the officiating chaos was the fact that Madrid actually moved closer to the top of the table with this victory. The only goal of the game arrived just after the hour mark, courtesy of a clinical strike from Yan Diomande. The young defender found himself in advanced territory and swivelled to fire a low shot into the far corner, marking his first goal for the club. The strike was initially flagged for offside, but a lengthy VAR check eventually overturned the decision to give the hosts the lead.
Villarreal were far from pushovers and tested Thibaut Courtois on several occasions throughout the night. The Belgian goalkeeper was forced into a series of sharp saves to deny Pape Gueye and Alberto Moleiro, who both came close to silencing the Bernabeu crowd. Despite the late pressure and the loss of Vinicius, Madrid’s defensive unit held firm to ensure that Diomande’s maiden goal remained the decisive moment of a stormy encounter in the Spanish capital.
