Vinicius Junior endured a chaotic evening at the Bernabeu on Saturday as the Real Madrid star scored, saw his goal ruled out and was sent off for pulling an opponent’s hair — all within a few frantic minutes.

Madrid edged Villarreal 1-0 in La Liga to stay firmly in the title hunt, but the headlines belonged to the Brazilian. He had come on as a second-half substitute shortly before Yan Diamonde broke the deadlock, and thought he had doubled the lead — only for VAR to intervene. There had been joy on the home bench when the ball hit the net, with manager Jose Mourinho sprinting to the huddle of players to join the celebrations — a dash that turned awkward within seconds when the goal was chalked off. Replays clearly showed he had tugged hard on the hair of Villarreal defender Nathan Saliba while sprinting down the field.

Apology and the referee’s report

Vinicius was visibly stunned and furious when the referee returned from the pitchside monitor brandishing a red card, and his teammates had to physically pull him away from the official. Referee Diaz de Mera wrote in his match report that the player protested the decision aggressively, raising his voice towards the referee while being restrained.

The forward later apologised to supporters in Spanish on Instagram, writing: Sorry to my team and my fans. Villarreal defender Juan Foyth said he did not believe Vinicius had meant to hurt anyone but agreed that the offence was a clear red card.

Clasico now in doubt

The dismissal carries a mandatory one-game suspension, and Vinicius could miss the upcoming El Clasico against Barcelona in two rounds if the disciplinary commission decides to extend the ban. To cap a strange night for the hosts, Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho cancelled his post-match press conference.

The Brazilian will now wait on the commission’s ruling to learn whether he will be available for one of the season’s biggest fixtures.