Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr could miss El Clasico vs Barcelona after a mindless red card for hair-pulling
· Yahoo Sports
Real Madrid winger Vinicius Jr could miss their El Clasico showdown with Barcelona after receiving a straight red card for pulling Nathan Saliba’s hair during Saturday’s win over Villarreal.
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The Brazilian was dismissed for violent conduct in the 72nd minute after appearing to score Madrid’s second goal of the evening.
A VAR review overturned the strike and exposed his needless off-the-ball incident.
Jose Mourinho initially celebrated wildly on the touchline before the goal was overturned and Vinicius was sent off, leaving the Real Madrid boss furious with the decision.
The Portuguese tactician didn’t attend his obligatory post-match press conference.
Vinicius replaced Trent Alexander-Arnold just 20 minutes earlier.
The 26-year-old could now miss Real’s next La Liga fixture against Sevilla before the highly anticipated meeting with Barcelona on October 25.
If the dismissal stands despite Real’s expected appeal, the forward could miss the trip to Sevilla.
The timing could cost Madrid one of their most influential attacking players for El Clasico a week later.
Under Law 12 of the International Football Association Board’s Laws of the Game, deliberately pulling an opponent’s hair can constitute violent conduct and warrants a straight red card.
Although referees have been encouraged to consider the force and intention behind hair-pulling incidents this season, Vinicius’ deliberate action could be difficult to overturn.
Real will hope an appeal can spare their forward a suspension, but his actions have handed Mourinho an unnecessary disciplinary headache ahead of two important league fixtures.
The dismissal threatened to overshadow an otherwise valuable victory for Madrid.
Los Blancos desperately needed three points after Barcelona strengthened their top position with a 3-0 win over Getafe earlier in the day.
Teenager Yan Diomande scored the decisive goal in the 62nd minute, registering his first strike for the club after arriving from RB Leipzig in August in a deal worth up to £120 million.
Madrid remain six points behind the defending champions after eight matches, making the upcoming El Clasico even more significant.
With Vinicius potentially facing a ban, his moment of indiscipline could have serious consequences for Madrid’s title ambitions.