Real Madrid winger Vinicius Junior was shown a red card for pulling the hair of an opponent, with his goal ruled out by VAR in the process. The Brazilian had opened the scoring after coming on early in the second half, having been booed onto the pitch by Villarreal supporters.
Vinicius found the net after 72 minutes and celebrated enthusiastically with team-mate Jude Bellingham and manager Jose Mourinho, who raced down the sideline in joy. However, the mood quickly changed when VAR intervened.
VAR overturns goal and awards red card
The video assistant referee spotted the 26-year-old pulling the hair of Villarreal's Nathan Saliba as he ran into the opposition half, while Bellingham was in possession out wide. Bellingham provided the ball for Vinicius to double Real Madrid's lead, but the goal was disallowed.
Instead of adding to his tally, Vinicius was sent off, provoking a furious reaction as he chased referee Isidro Díaz de Mer before leaving the field. It marked the first time VAR had overturned a goal and provided a red card simultaneously.
Real Madrid hold on with 10 men
The decision meant Real Madrid had to defend a one-goal lead with 10 men, which they managed successfully. Yann Diomande, the summer signing who started ahead of Vinicius, made an important contribution.
Real Madrid TV has broadcast frustration with the referee's performance. "You can call it a foul by Vinicius, but the problem arises when this VAR referee hasn't called for the red card shown to Carlos Romero in the match against Espanyol for two seasons," the outlet said.
Referee Pablo González Fuertes defended the decision, telling Radio Marca: "A correct sending-off because it was a very blatant hair-pull on Saliba. It was violent conduct on the part of the Real Madrid forward. And, logically, the goal was correctly disallowed."
Depending on the referee's report, Vinicius could miss the Clasico against Barcelona in two weeks.
