Vinícius sets Espanyol's stadium alight: provocation of the fans and a clash that threatens Real Madrid

What did he do

Vinicius Junior set the atmosphere alight in Real Madrid's clash with Espanyol at the RCDE Stadium, getting involved in more than one altercation from the opening minutes and turning himself into one of the match's main talking points away from the pitch.

The tensions began after just three minutes. The Brazilian forward clashed with Cala, having been kicked while he was on the ground, before the friction between them flared up again. Around the 30th minute, he got into another altercation with an Espanyol player.

His anger did not stop at the home side's players. Vinicius gestured towards the Espanyol fans, urging them to keep targeting him with chants and provocations, and the supporters hit back with a collective chant titled "beach ball".

Things escalated again between Vinicius and Cala after the referee brandished a yellow card at each of them following a fresh altercation. The decision angered the Real Madrid player, who marched over to protest.

Vinicius's team-mates quickly stepped in to move him away from the referee and defuse the situation. They feared he would lose his temper and pick up another card that could end his involvement in the match. From its very first minutes, the encounter was ablaze.