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Rabat – Real Madrid forward Vinícius Júnior was at the center of heated exchanges with Espanyol defender Omar Hilali during Monday’s La Liga match, which ended in a 2‑0 win for Madrid.
Television cameras captured Vinicius complaining repeatedly about Hilali pulling his shirt. At one point, the Brazilian shouted at his opponent, calling him “stupid,” while Hilali responded in kind.
The situation escalated when Vinicius told Espanyol coach Manolo González to substitute Hilali, warning that “he will be sent off.”
Minutes later, Hilali was shown a straight red card for a foul on Vinicius, but after a VAR review, the decision was downgraded to a yellow.
Vinícius refused Hilali’s request to swap shirts, telling him, “Stop clowning, I won’t change my jersey with you.” He continued to provoke the Moroccan defender, adding, “You’ll go back to the second division.”
Espanyol’s crowd joined in, chanting “Vinícius, beach football,” which Hilali acknowledged with a smile. Vinícius responded by scoring twice, silencing the home fans and sealing Madrid’s victory.
Vinícius’ brace delayed Barcelona’s title celebrations, keeping the race alive at least another week.
The win also set up a decisive showdown on Sunday at 8 p.m. in Spotify Camp Nou, a match that could determine the La Liga title.
If Barcelona win, they will be crowned champions for the second consecutive year under Hansi Flick, claiming their 29th La Liga title and closing in on Real Madrid’s record of 36 league trophies as Spain’s most decorated club. If Madrid win, the race will remain open.
It would mark the first time in history that the La Liga title could be decided directly in an El Clásico.
