Madrid’s evening at the Santiago Bernabéu ended with three vital points but little serenity. Real Madrid overcame Villarreal 1-0 through Diomande’s first goal for the club, then endured a fraught closing spell after Vinicius Junior was sent off following a VAR review.
José Mourinho’s side remain short of a settled, convincing identity, yet they found a way past a Villarreal team that arrived in the capital determined to control possession and came close to taking advantage of Madrid’s uncertainty. Thibaut Courtois was required to protect the lead as the visitors pressed late on.
A restless night in the capital
- Mourinho began with Vinicius among the substitutes, the Brazilian’s first time starting on the bench since the Mallorca match in April. Diomande took his place, a selection many supporters had been calling for.
- Villarreal initially saw plenty of the ball, but Madrid’s higher pressure soon disrupted their build-up. Arda Güler became the main creative influence and Kylian Mbappé struck the post in the seventh minute.
- Mbappé had another opening in the 21st minute after collecting a long pass from Trent, but Madrid could not convert their early superiority into a goal.
- The home side then lost momentum. Villarreal began reaching Courtois’s area more regularly, although without creating a clear chance before the interval.
- The Bernabéu crowd grew impatient after the half-hour mark, whistling a flat Madrid performance. Mourinho sent several players out to warm up, though Vinicius was not among them, and the teams went in at 0-0 to another hostile reaction from the stands.
Changes, controversy and Diomande’s breakthrough
- Mourinho introduced Cucurella for Carreras at half-time, seeking greater protection on the flank where Ilias had been causing problems for Villarreal.
- A further reshuffle saw Vinicius replace Trent. Federico Valverde moved to right-back, despite Mourinho previously saying he would not use him there; Diomande switched wing and Güler dropped alongside Aurélien Tchouaméni in midfield.
- The adjustment did not immediately improve Madrid. Villarreal created the better opportunities after the restart, only for Courtois to prevent the visitors from going ahead.
- Madrid punished that wastefulness in the 62nd minute. Diomande finished for his first Real Madrid goal, with the initial offside decision overturned when VAR reviewed the positioning and awarded the goal.
- Villarreal coach Íñigo increased the attacking threat by bringing on Gerard Moreno and Mikautadze in pursuit of an equaliser.
- Vinicius appeared to make it 2-0 in the 71st minute, but the goal was ruled out after VAR identified the Brazilian pulling Saliba’s hair at the start of the move. He was shown a straight red card and reacted angrily towards the referee.
Villarreal push, Madrid hold on
The dismissal left Madrid to negotiate the final stretch with 10 men, and Villarreal committed numbers forward. Mourinho withdrew Güler and Diomande for Eduardo Camavinga and Denzel Dumfries, prioritising defensive cover and hoping for a counterattack to settle the contest.
Madrid slowed the rhythm wherever possible as Villarreal searched for a way through, but the visitors could not turn their territorial pressure into the equaliser. The final whistle brought relief around the Bernabéu rather than celebration: a narrow win, secured by Diomande, with Vinicius now facing the prospect of a suspension as El Clásico approaches.
