Valencia CF – Real Madrid: The expulsion of Vinicius after hitting Dimitrievski
Real Madrid secured all three points at the Mestalla against Valencia in a thrilling encounter that ended 2-1, with everything from an offside goal by Mbappé to a missed penalty by Bellingham, passing through a header from Luis Rioja which hit the post in the last minute. However, this match will mainly be remembered for the expulsion of Vinicius for hitting Dimitrievski.
This marks Vinicius’ second sending off as a Real Madrid player, the previous one also taking place against the same opponent at the same venue. In 2023, the Brazilian reacted to Hugo Duro by slapping him in the face in the 90 + 7 minute, following a scuffle in the home team’s area.
This time, referee Soto Grado sent off Vinicius in the 79th minute for “deliberately hitting an opponent in the head, without a ball in play, with significant force.” »
As is usual, Real Madrid TV criticized the refereeing decisions. However, the pressure did not appear before the match, but rather after. “Personally, we have to leave this League. We must leave this League. This League is dirty. It’s dirty, it’s dirty,” said Jesús Alcaide, director of the channel and one of the match commentators.
The discussion didn’t stop there; they elaborated extensively on the events that unfolded on the pitch at the Mestalla, vehemently criticizing VAR and Soto Grado’s decision to issue a red card to the young Brazilian striker.
“The refereeing body must be very hurt today because Madrid triumphed over Valencia, Medina Cantalejo, the refereeing system and Negreira. As we have often seen in this League, with these referees and their decisions, a classic trap was being set. However, Madrid overcame this and faced a Valencia team that showed character,” highlighted the representatives of the Madrid channel.
Another complaint highlighted by Real Madrid TV was the incomplete replay provided to Soto Grado by VAR, which showed “only part of what happened, not the whole situation.” Dimitrievski’s provocation towards Vinicius was not shown to the referee,” they lamented. “For the VAR to call Soto Grado and present only part of the incident is manipulation, distortion and an alteration of the competition. The ‘Negreirato’ continues its modus operandi, accompanied by the darkness that we have now seen,” they insisted.
