Vinicius May Miss El Clásico After Red Card

Vinicius Junior had an apparent second goal wiped out in Real Madrid's 1-0 win over Villarreal after VAR showed him pulling Nathan Saliba's hair, and referee Isidro Diaz de Mera Escuderos showed a straight red. Reports place the moment in the 71st or 72nd minute. Vinicius had come on about 20 minutes earlier. Jose Mourinho celebrated the goal before the overturn, then skipped his post-match press conference. Mundo Deportivo cited the referee report: the pull came while the ball was in play without either player challenging for possession, and after the red Vinicius shouted, approached aggressively, and teammates held him back. VAR audio labeled it violent conduct. RFEF Article 130 sets one to three matches for in-play violent conduct without injury, or two to three away from the immediate action. Separate protest rules add two-to-three-match options. COPE says Real Madrid expect three matches and will appeal for two. Precedents include two-match bans for Johan Mojica and Sophia Wilson. The RFEF Disciplinary Committee is expected to decide Wednesday. Madrid's next league games are against Sevilla and Barcelona in El Clasico on October 25 at Camp Nou.