Yan Diomande Capitalises on Vinicius Junior’s Struggles to Shine for Real Madrid Against Villarreal

First he was off to Liverpool. Then Paris Saint-Germain was the rumoured destination. Ultimately it was Real Madrid that won the race to sign Yan Diomande earlier in the summer.

Diomande enjoyed a whirlwind sole season in the Bundesliga, playing a starring role for German giants RB Leipzig. Indeed, he scored 12 and provided eight assists. 118 completed take ons was more than any other player. He was clearly a player destined for greatness.

And Real Madrid were willing to part with a nine-figure fee to bring Diomande to the Bernabeu. It was part of a summer splurge as Los Blancos seek to knock Barcelona off their La Liga perch.

Ibrahima Konate and Bernardo Silva both arrived on free transfers from Liverpool and Manchester City, respectively. Elsewhere, Marc Cucurella, Denzel Dumfries and Carlos Espi made the switch to Madrid. Diomande, though, was the marquee addition, not that it mattered to head coach Jose Mourinho.

Diomande made to wait

The iconic Portuguese boss returned to the club, 13 years after his first stint in charge came to an end with the purpose of ousting rivals Barcelona as Spain’s biggest club. Mourinho is one of the biggest managerial names in world football, even if his tactics have been rightly called into question in recent years.

What that means, though, is that he isn’t afraid to drop a star name or opt against utilising a high-profile signing if it doesn’t suit his approach. And Diomande is no exception here as the 19-year-old found out in the early weeks of the season.

The teenage winger’s opening four league appearances of the season all came from the bench, with Turkish youngster Arda Guler favoured down the right flank. In recent weeks, though, the tide has been turning in Diomande’s favour. He’s started three of Real Madrid’s last four league matches, twice on the right flank and, most recently, on the left.

Interestingly, he started Saturday’s 1-0 win over Villarreal on the left at the expense of Vinicius Junior. The game marked the first time the Brazilian had started a La Liga game from the bench this season. Mourinho will have his reasons for dropping Vinicius Junior, with the looming Champions League meeting with Roma perhaps on his mind.

Ivorian looking to capitalise upon Vinicius Junior's sub-par form

Ultimately, Vinicius Junior replaced Trent Alexander-Arnold shortly after the restart. His cameo would last just 20 minutes having been shown his marching orders for a hair pull on Nathan Saliba. The short-lived outing was the Brazil international’s season in a microcosm. In truth, it’s been a sub-par start to the campaign for Vinicius Junior.

One goal and three assists doesn’t make for great reading for a player who was once the frontrunner for the Ballon d’Or. And while Vinicius Junior fluffed his moment off the bench, Diomande capitalised impressively.

The Ivory Coast international registered his first La Liga assist on his second league start in a 3-2 away win at Elche last month. He capped his third start in Spain’s top tier with his first goal.

Full agreement: VAR recordings revealed in the Vinicius sending-off incident

Diomande was the difference-maker on the hour mark, getting the better of Peter Gulacsi with one of two shots having been picked out by Federico Valverde on the edge of the box. The Real Madrid star tucked past the Hungarian with the composure of a seasoned pro. The wing-wizard completed two take ons in the narrow home triumph, and could have had an assist, too, having created three chances. For good measure, he also made three tackles.

It was the sort of performance that RB Leipzig fans became accustomed to last season. “I’m happy. I’ve been waiting for that first goal for a long time. I’m glad, both for myself and for the team. In that position, I think the only option was to control, turn, and shoot,” an ecstatic Diomande said at full time on Saturday night.

Crunch run looming for Real Madrid and Diomande

The win allowed Real Madrid to keep on the coattails of Barcelona, the league leaders easing to a 3-0 home triumph over Getafe earlier in the day. Supporters will be hoping Diomande’s second-half strike is a sign of things to come in the Spanish capital. It’s just as well, too.

Barcelona are the only side to boast a 100% start to the season, meaning the Clasico at Spotify Camp Nou later this month will be crucial for both sides. Real Madrid host Sevilla next weekend in the lead up to the monster league clash, with the welcome of Diomande’s former side RB Leipzig sandwiched between the pair of La Liga showdowns.

However, with Vinicius Junior faltering, and likely to be banned for both the Sevilla and Barcelona outings, Diomande’s arrival couldn’t have been timed better. Saturday’s winning goal was a long time in the making for the summer signing. Real Madrid are hoping it’s the first of many.