On Sunday, Vini Jr. served the first game of his four-game suspension after receiving a red card last week against Villarreal.
Despite the star winger’s absence, Real Madrid pulled off an easy 4-1 win over Sevilla at the Santiago Bernabeu. Arda Guler opened the scoring with a wonderful shot just outside the box in the 30th minute.
Kylian Mbappe added a brace in the 37th and 63rd minutes before Yan Diomande finished it off in the 82nd minute after Manu Bueno’s consolation goal two minutes earlier.
Jose Mourinho’s Vini Jr. Message
Speaking to the media after the game, Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho announced that Vini Jr. will be starting against RB Leipzig on Wednesday in the UEFA Champions League.
Mourinho had nothing but strong words for his star winger, who has been under scrutiny this season.
“I don’t like doing it, but I do it because it’s an unavoidable situation,” Mourinho said. “He’ll start on Wednesday, and the Champions is a way to keep him motivated so he’s not just training without playing. He’s fresh, and since he didn’t play today, he worked a lot on his fitness.”
“Hopefully, things will go well for him as he deserves, and we need him,” the manager added. “Leipzig isn’t the team that played poorly yesterday in Munich; it’s something else.”
Madrid has won three in a row in all competitions since losing to Atletico Madrid before the start of the three-week international break last month.
On the other hand, Leipzig is coming off a disappointing 6-1 defeat against Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga.
Why Did Vini Jr. Get a 4-Game Ban?
In last week’s 1-0 win over Villarreal, Vini Jr. was sent off in the 72nd minute for pulling Nathan Saliba’s hair.
According to ESPN’s Alex Kirland, Vini Jr. received a two-game suspension for the hair-pulling and another two games for his angry reaction to getting the red card.
The Brazilian star apologized for the incident, but he told reporters after Madrid’s comeback win over Roma in the Champions League that he was baffled by the four-game ban.
“We’ve never had this (hair pulling) explained to us,” Vini said. “Someone from La Liga and the referees’ association always comes to explain the rules, but never this specific point. It was a red card for me, simple as that. … I’ve never been violent towards another player. I get hit quite a lot, yet the cards end up going to me.”
Due to his suspension, Vini will miss next weekend’s El Clasico against Barcelona. He will also be absent against Racing Santander and Valencia.
Jose Mourinho Sends Clear Vini Jr. Message Ahead of UCL Game vs. RB Leipzig