Vinicius Junior red card boosts Yan Diomande as El Clasico place is threatened

Vinicius Junior's difficult start to the season reached a new low against Villarreal, as Jose Mourinho benched the Brazilian for Yan Diomande before watching his replacement score the winner and Vinicius receive a straight red card just 20 minutes after coming on.

Real Madrid returned from the international break with a hard-fought 1-0 victory at the Santiago Bernabeu, but the three points were accompanied by another significant development in Mourinho's attacking hierarchy.

For the first time this season, Vinicius was left out of the starting XI, with £120m summer signing Diomande selected on the left side of Madrid's attack.

The decision came after a difficult opening to 2026-27 for the Brazil international, who had scored only once in his previous nine club appearances and had already been jeered by sections of the Bernabeu crowd.

Diomande initially struggled to make the most of his opportunity during a goalless first half, but the tactical picture changed dramatically when Mourinho introduced Vinicius in the 52nd minute.

Trent Alexander-Arnold made way, Federico Valverde dropped to right-back and Arda Guler moved deeper, allowing Diomande to switch from the left onto the right wing.

Ten minutes later, that change produced the decisive moment.

Diomande takes his chance after Vinicius benching

Valverde released Diomande with a through-ball in the 62nd minute, and the Ivory Coast international finished across Peter Gulacsi to score his first Real Madrid goal.

The assistant referee initially raised his flag, but a VAR review overturned the offside call and confirmed what proved to be the winner. The goal secured Madrid's 1-0 victory over Villarreal and delivered Diomande's most important contribution yet for the club.

The timing was particularly significant given the debate surrounding Diomande's best position.

Sports Mole examined the issue only a day earlier after Ivory Coast coach Herve Renard described the left as the 19-year-old's preferred flank, despite Vinicius occupying that role for Madrid.

Diomande's prolific final season at RB Leipzig nevertheless suggested that the right could provide Mourinho with an alternative solution, with the winger producing the majority of his attacking output from that side.

Against Villarreal, the sequence could hardly have illustrated the dilemma more neatly.

Diomande began in Vinicius's position without producing a decisive first-half contribution. Vinicius then entered, Diomande moved right, and within 10 minutes the summer signing had scored the goal that won Madrid the match.

What followed made the contrast between their nights even sharper.

Vinicius appeared to have responded perfectly to being dropped when he found the net in the 72nd minute after Jude Bellingham drove forward.

Instead, VAR turned a potential redemption moment into a dismissal.

Why Vinicius could now miss El Clasico

A review of the build-up showed Vinicius pulling Villarreal midfielder Nathan Saliba's hair away from the ball.

Referee Isidro Diaz de Mera disallowed the goal and showed the Brazilian a straight red card for the incident.

Vinicius had therefore gone from the bench to a possible equal response, and then to an early exit, in the space of 20 minutes.

The 26-year-old reacted angrily to the decision and had to be restrained by teammates before leaving the pitch, although he subsequently apologised to his teammates and Real Madrid supporters.

The larger concern for Mourinho is now the suspension.

Hair-pulling can be classified as violent conduct under Spanish Football Federation regulations, with reports in Spain suggesting that Vinicius could receive a ban of between two and three league matches.

A one-game suspension would only rule him out of Madrid's next La Liga fixture against Sevilla on October 18.

Anything longer would place his involvement in the Clasico at Barcelona on October 25 in serious doubt.

Vinicius remains available for Wednesday's Champions League trip to Roma because any domestic suspension would not apply in Europe.

His league absence could nevertheless open the door further for Diomande at exactly the moment the Ivorian is beginning to justify Madrid's enormous summer investment. Only a week ago, Diomande had openly acknowledged how little he had been playing for Real Madrid.

Mourinho entered the Villarreal match facing a selection problem over how to fit Vinicius and Diomande into the same attack.

Ninety minutes later, Diomande had his first Real Madrid goal, while Vinicius had a suspension hanging over him.

The competition on Madrid's left flank may have just taken another unexpected turn.