Vinicius Junior scores twice as Real Madrid beat Espanyol amid flashpoint

Vinicius Junior ended the night at the RCDE Stadium with two goals, a perfect 10 rating and plenty of noise around him. Real Madrid beat Espanyol 2-0, and Omar El Hilali’s straight red card was overturned by VAR and downgraded to a yellow card. The confrontation grabbed attention, but the scoreline and Vinicius’ finishing were the facts that mattered on the pitch.

Vinicius decided the game on the pitch

The first half had already turned tense by the time the flashpoint between Vinicius and El Hilali developed, with the pair trading insults in the reporting from goal.com. Vinicius was caught on camera saying, “Stop this nonsense, then ask me to swap shirts... You're stupid, you want to fight... I'm not swapping shirts with you,” and later, “Idiot. You're an idiot.” He also taunted Espanyol with, “You're going back to the Second Division, man.” El Hilali’s response, according to the same reporting, was: “And you're a whore.”

That exchange will get the headlines, and it probably should. But it is easy to miss how cleanly Vinicius settled the football side of the evening. He scored twice, both of his shots on target became goals, and he also won 10 of 14 duels while creating three key passes. That is a proper attacking performance, not just a moment of irritation.

Real Madrid also have another injury problem

There was a separate concern for Real Madrid as Ferland Mendy was replaced in the 14th minute. The club say he has a rectus femoris tendon injury in his right leg. Sportsmole reported that if surgery is required, he could be sidelined for five months.

That is a fresh headache for Madrid because it removes another left-back option from the picture for a significant spell, though the surgery point matters. The available reporting does not make the absence certain, only possible if that route is taken. For now, the confirmed detail is the injury itself and the fact that Mendy lasted only 14 minutes against Espanyol.

The disciplinary side is less settled. El Hilali’s red card was overturned by VAR, and it remains unclear whether La Liga will take any further action over the exchange. What is not in doubt is that Vinicius Junior left the night with the cleaner record in the only sense that counts immediately, two goals and a 2-0 win for Madrid.