Brazilian forward Vinícius Jr once again found himself at the center of controversy at Mestalla, after being sent off for the second time in his professional career, this time against Valencia. The red card came after an incident involving Macedonian goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski, who touched Vinícius's back to help him up after he had fallen to the ground. The Brazilian, frustrated, responded by hitting Dimitrievski in the neck, which was deemed an act of aggression by referee César Soto Grado.

Vinícius Jr returned to Mestalla after serving a previous suspension and was met with offensive chants from the local fans, who sang "Vinícius, balón de playa" ("Vinícius beach ball"). Throughout the first half, the Brazilian also protested to the referee, asking for a penalty not given and calling for yellow cards to be handed out to Valencia players on several occasions. With Real Madrid trailing 1-0, the match became increasingly tense.

The Key Moment

The expulsion came in the 79th minute, after Vinícius missed a golden opportunity to equalize, with Dimitri Foulquier blocking his shot. During the play, Vinícius fell to the ground and was scolded by the opposing goalkeeper, who tried to help him up. Enraged, Vinícius struck Dimitrievski in the neck, prompting the referee, after reviewing the incident with the VAR, to change the yellow card to a direct red for the Real Madrid forward.

This incident added yet another chapter to Vinícius Jr's complicated relationship with Mestalla and the referees, in a match that, once again, ended with an expulsion for the young Brazilian.