Real Madrid Player Ratings vs. Villarreal: Vinicius Junior Red Card Overshadows Crucial Win

Real Madrid squeaked out a 1–0 victory over Villarreal on Saturday, persevering with 10 men after Vinícius Júnior was sent off in the 74th minute.

When Los Blancos kicked off under the lights at the Bernabéu, the team was nine points behind La Liga leaders Barcelona. Collecting three points was absolutely imperative for José Mourinho’s men in their return to domestic action, but the only thing they produced in the first half were thousands of whistles from the home crowd.

Yan Diomande finally gave the fans something to cheer when he bagged his first goal to put the hosts up 1–0 in the 62nd minute. The teenager collected a clever ball from Federico Valverde on the turn and then fired a right-footed strike into the back of the net.

Vinícius Jr was the next man on the scoresheet nine minutes later, but a VAR review chopped off the goal for a foul in the build-up. The replay showed the Brazil international pull the hair of Nathan Saliba before he was off to the races and was promptly shown a red card, leaving Real Madrid down to 10 men.

The 15-time European champions dug deep and saw out the win, withstanding a flurry of chances from Villarreal to bring the gap to Barcelona back to six points. The win hardly felt like a triumph, though, given how the game turned in the final stages.

The One Thing We Can’t Ignore

Mourinho turned heads when he benched Vinícius Jr for Saturday’s clash. The decision could have simply been because the winger logged heavy minutes during the international break for Brazil and also had to travel back to Spain from India. But there was no ignoring just how poorly the No. 7 has played for club and country in 2026–27.

Yan Diomande instead got the nod on the left wing. The stage was set for the blockbuster summer signing to make a statement in the rare opportunity, but apart from a few blistering runs forward, there wasn’t much to celebrate about his opening 45 minutes.

Mourinho could sense the team was in desperate need of a boost as the game unfolded scoreless, so he introduced Vinícius Jr in the 52nd minute. But instead of replacing Diomande, the Portuguese boss moved the teenager to the right wing—and it paid off 10 minutes later.

Diomande buried a clinical finish and then Vinícius Jr soon doubled Real Madrid’s lead. It looked like the attack was finally finding its footing after a lackluster start to the season ... but Vinícius Jr’s goal was wiped away and he was sent off.

The team went from a group hug around Vinícius Jr to a group attack on the referee. What could have been a turning point for the winger—and the frontline—this season is now just another moment shrouded in controversy.

Real Madrid Player Ratings vs. Villarreal (4-3-2-1)

*Ratings Provided by FotMob*

GK: Thibaut Courtois—8.2: Could have gone for a stroll around Spain in the first half and no one would have noticed. Called into action more after the restart and had to stand on his head to keep a clean sheet.

RB: Trent Alexander-Arnold—7.0: Delivered sensational service to Mbappé. A bright spot pushing forward on a team that looked all out of ideas for long stretches. Harshly taken out of the game early in the second half.

CB: Ibrahima Konaté—7.3: Played without any signs of a lingering injury. Continues to deliver a solid debut campaign. Read danger well, especially when the team went down to 10 men.

CB: Antonio Rüdiger—7.9: Turned back the clock to step up in Huijsen’s absence. Always the one making a timely clearance or shutting down a promising sequence from the visitors. Won all but one of his duels.

LB: Álvaro Carreras—7.1: Time on the bench has done him well. Looked sharp from the opening whistle and linked up well with Diomande down the left. Didn’t deserve to come off at halftime.

DM: Federico Valverde—8.2: Started the game in midfield, then went out to the right wing and ended up at right back all before the game reached the hour-mark. Guess where he was at his best?The position he hates playing.

DM: Aurélien Tchouaméni—7.2: Tidy in possession and crucial in defense. Enjoyed more progressive passing, continuously looking to get the ball into the final third.

RW: Arda Güler—6.9: Not one of his better outings on the wing. Eventually dropped into midfield to try and dictate the flow of play for his side with mixed results.

AM: Jude Bellingham—6.7: Rather anonymous for most of the night, especially when he tried to play as a second striker alongside Mbappé. Did excellent work setting up Vinícius Jr’s disallowed goal, but all for nothing in the end.

LW: Yan Diomande—8.1: Beat defenders with his pace, but needed to be more selfish and take the shot as opposed to always looking for a teammate in the first half. Mourinho might have said the same, because at Diomande’s earliest opportunity after the restart, he did just that and scored.

ST: Kylian Mbappé—7.5: Needed to be more clinical in the first half. Wasted two glorious chances and then missed some more in the second.

SUB: Marc Cucurella (46’ for Carreras)—7.4: Instantly made an impact inside his own half with his physicality. Needed his leadership and poise to help see out the game.

SUB: Vinícius Júnior (52’ for Alexander-Arnold)—5.3: Looked like he finally got his moment this season, but spoiled it all with a red card.

SUB: Eduardo Camavinga (71’ for Güler)—6.3: Came on to give the team an additional defensive presence.

SUB: Denzel Dumfries (86’ for Camavinga)—N/A

Subs not used: Andriy Lunin (GK), Sergio Mestre (GK), Bernardo Silva, Thiago Pitarch, Brahim Díaz, Carlos Espí, Endrick.

What the Ratings Tell Us

Real Madrid needed more from Jude Bellingham on Saturday. | Alvaro Medranda/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images

Nothing is going right for Vinícius Jr. Between his poor form, goal drought and now a needless red card, the Brazilian is at the center of a firestorm that is not stopping anytime soon. Now he will miss time through suspension, giving Yan Diomande more opportunities to take over his left wing.
Trent Alexander-Arnold finally got an opportunity to start and reminded Mourinho of the magic in his right foot. The England international picked out Mbappé with sublime long balls that should have earned him at least one assist. The difference in creativity he brings compared to Denzel Dumfries was on full display in just 52 minutes on the pitch.
On a night where Real Madrid were desperate for some creativity, Jude Bellingham went missing for large stretches of the encounter. The midfielder was in sensational form for England over the break but could not translate it to the Bernabéu. His one standout moment in the build-up to Vinícius Jr’s disallowed goal was the only time he truly made his presence felt.

The Numbers That Explain Real Madrid’s Nervy Win

Real Madrid amassed just a 0.95 xG against a team that has not kept a single clean sheet this season. Their poor passing accuracy (83%) was partially to blame.
The hosts committed eight fouls and walked away with one red card and five yellow cards. The visitors committed 13 fouls and only two players were booked.
Villarreal never looked in real danger of scoring. They created zero big chances on the night and only hit the target with four shots.

Statistic	Real Madrid	Villarreal
Posession	46%	54%
Expected Goals (xG)	0.95	0.62
Total Shots	11	15
Shots on Target	4	4
Big Chances	3	0
Pass Accuracy	83%	89%
Fouls	8	13
Corners	9	3

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