Vinícius to miss Barcelona clash after four-match ban

Real Madrid forward Vinícius Júnior received a four-match La Liga suspension following a red card for pulling an opponent's hair and protesting. The ban will rule the Brazilian out of league fixtures against Sevilla, Barcelona, Racing Santander, and Valencia. Speaking after Real Madrid's 4-3 Champions League victory over Roma, Vinícius expressed surprise at the ban's length and denied using offensive language toward the official.

Vinícius called for greater referee protection for attacking players, specifically citing Barcelona's Lamine Yamal and Atlético Madrid's Julián Álvarez alongside himself. Real Madrid coach José Mourinho criticized the timing of the sanction announcement, noting that the team only learned of the ruling on their bus ride two hours prior to kick-off against Roma.