Vinicius scores brace as Real Madrid beat Villarreal 3-1

Mastantuono, signed from River Plate in the summer, drilled narrowly wide of the near post before the break.

Los Blancos took the lead early in the second half through Vinicius, whose shot took a fortunate deflection off Santi Comesana and flew past the helpless Arnau Tenas.

Xabi Alonso brought on Jude Bellingham for the final 25 minutes, after benching him for the second game running following the Atletico debacle.

Thomas Tuchel left the midfielder out of his England squad for upcoming World Cup qualifiers this week, and he was out to prove a point.

– Tenas resistance –

Madrid doubled their lead when Rafa Marin brought down Vinicius in the area and the Brazilian beat Tenas from the spot. The former Barcelona goalkeeper could have stopped the penalty but the ball slipped under him.

Vinicius wanted another penalty when Tenas appeared to bring him down in the box moments later, but his appeals were waved away.

Bellingham twice came close but Tenas denied him on both occasions, with the midfielder kicking a post in frustration.

Villarreal pulled a goal back through Georges Mikautadze, who finished lethally from the edge of the box, but Madrid quickly restored their two-goal cushion.

Yellow Submarine defender Santiago Mourino was sent off for a second yellow card for a push on Vinicius as he charged down the wing, and soon Mbappe netted the third.

Brahim Diaz teed up the French superstar to roll home his ninth league goal of the campaign, making him the division’s top scorer.

Mbappe was taken off with an apparent knock in the final stages, in the only negative note for a Madrid side who were good value for their three points.

Villarreal’s Comesana complained about some of the refereeing decisions which went against his side.

“It’s a shame about the first goal which hit me, and then came the penalty, which wasn’t enough (of a foul) to give it,” Comesana told DAZN.

“That hurt us a lot, you only have to look how he threw himself down… and the red card (was soft)… if it’s already hard to win at the Bernabeu, with these things it’s even harder.”