Vinícius Júnior apologised after being despatched off in Real Madrid’s 2-1 comeback win over Valencia on Friday within the first LaLiga recreation of 2025.
Hugo Duro put Valencia forward within the first half at Mestalla Stadium earlier than an eventful second interval noticed Jude Bellingham miss a penalty — hitting the put up — and Kylian Mbappé have a aim disallowed for offside.
Vinícius was proven a crimson card for placing Valencia keeper Stole Dimitrievski earlier than substitute Luka Modric levelled for Madrid within the eighty fifth minute and Bellingham scored a dramatic added-time winner.
The end result means Madrid go forward of Atlético Madrid on the high of the LaLiga desk, two factors away from their rivals and having performed a recreation extra.
“Sorry, and thanks workforce!!!!!!” Vinícius posted on X after the match.
The Brazil worldwide reacted angrily when he was proven the crimson card within the 79th minute, and he was restrained from confronting referee Cesar Soto Grado by teammate Antonio Rüdiger and goalkeeping coach Luis Llopis.
“We assume it wasn’t a crimson card, it was two yellows,” coach Carlo Ancelotti mentioned in his postmatch information convention. “The workforce was capable of react to the penalty miss and the disallowed aim. It’s onerous to clarify how dangerous our first half was and the way good the second half was. … We cannot present these two faces.”
Vinicius has been despatched off solely twice for Real Madrid, with each dismissals coming at Mestalla. He was additionally red-carded in Madrid’s 1-0 defeat to Valencia on May 21, 2023, a recreation through which he had earlier confronted a bunch of residence followers for racially abusing him.
“We’ll attraction [the dismissal],” Ancelotti mentioned. “I do not know if they will settle for it. We assume it wasn’t a crimson. … It was a contact from Dimitrievski after which a push from Vini. I believe two yellows would have been sufficient … I do not know if [Vini] can play our subsequent recreation, let’s hope so. He’s nonetheless a decisive participant for us.”
Bellingham’s penalty miss was the third time Madrid have failed to attain from the spot this season, after Mbappé was unable to transform towards Liverpool and Athletic Club.
“It annoys me that we have missed three penalties,” Ancelotti mentioned. “I’ll have to decide on who’s going to take them.”
England star Bellingham had an in any other case excellent recreation, offering the passes for Mbappé’s disallowed aim and Modric’s equalizer earlier than scoring himself within the ninety fifth minute to provide his facet the win.
“An incredible recreation from him,” Ancelotti mentioned. “The missed penalty gave him further motivation. His final 20 minutes confirmed what solely he can do … [the goal] was a reward for the sport he had.”
