The result
Real Madrid edged Villarreal 1-0 at the Santiago Bernabéu in round 8 of La Liga, with the contest settled by Yan Diomande’s right-footed goal in the 62nd minute. Federico Valverde supplied the assist for the only goal of a match that was scoreless at half-time.
It was a narrow victory, but one built on a meaningful difference in the most decisive attacking moments. Madrid created three big chances to Villarreal’s none, although they missed two of those opportunities. The home side also struck the woodwork once.
A level first half, a decisive second
Neither side found a breakthrough before the interval. Villarreal had slightly more of the ball across the match, recording 54% possession and completing 423 of 477 passes at 89%. Madrid had 46% possession, with 338 successful passes from 406.
The visitors also registered more total shots, 15 to Madrid’s 11, and both teams put four efforts on target. But Madrid generated more threat close to goal: nine of their shots came from inside the box, compared with seven for Villarreal, while they earned nine corners to Villarreal’s three.
The breakthrough arrived 17 minutes into the second half. Diomande finished with his right foot from Valverde’s assist to put Madrid ahead. A VAR entry one minute later recorded a goal awarded for Madrid.
A difficult final phase
The match changed again in the 72nd minute, when Vinícius Júnior was shown a red card for violent conduct. The event log also records a VAR-disallowed goal involving Vinícius at the same minute.
Madrid nevertheless protected their one-goal advantage through the closing stages and seven minutes of added time. Thibaut Courtois made four saves, one more than Villarreal goalkeeper Péter Gulácsi, while Madrid recorded 69 ball-safe actions to Villarreal’s 64.
The home side’s defensive effort was accompanied by strong numbers in direct contests: Madrid won 47 duels compared with Villarreal’s 35, completed 12 successful tackles to nine, and registered 11 successful dribbles from 18 attempts. Villarreal made 13 key passes, four more than Madrid’s nine, but could not convert their possession and shot volume into a goal.
Discipline and changes
The fixture became increasingly combative after the interval. Madrid finished with five yellow cards and one red, while Villarreal received two yellow cards. Renato Veiga was booked in the 10th minute, and Jude Bellingham received Madrid’s first caution in the 19th.
Madrid made four substitutions, introducing Marc Cucurella at half-time, Vinícius in the 52nd minute, Eduardo Camavinga in the 77th and Denzel Dumfries in the 86th. Villarreal used all five of their changes, including a double substitution in the 56th minute and the arrivals of Georges Mikautadze and Gerard Moreno in the 67th.
Standout performers
Alex Freeman was named Player of the Match with a rating of 7.86 despite Villarreal’s defeat. For Madrid, Valverde posted a 7.67 rating and supplied the decisive assist, while scorer Diomande earned 7.50. Courtois, who kept the clean sheet, was rated 7.36.
Villarreal leave Madrid having controlled more possession and produced more shots, but Madrid’s stronger big-chance count and their single converted moment proved decisive. The result was secured under late pressure after the red card, preserving a clean-sheet league win for the hosts.