Kylian Mbappe made his Real Madrid debut in style by winning the European Super Cup, his first title with the white team, on August 14 at the National Stadium in Warsaw, Poland.
Champions League winners Madrid played a great game to beat worthy rivals Atalanta, winners of the Europa League, 2-0.
For Los Merengues, this was their sixth European Super Cup and their first crown this season, ahead of the start of La Liga this weekend.
Madrid’s goals were scored by Federico Valverde in the 59th minute and by Mbappe (68), who opened his scoring account on the very first day.
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Mbappe could not have done better in his debut as a player for the bank club goal and title.
But also because he played very well, both in the good association with his new teammates and in front of the opposing goal, despite having had few training sessions with Madrid. Although it is not a surprise, it is important to demonstrate it.
Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti was not surprised with his lineup, with a 4-3-3 with Jude Bellingham as a midfielder and Mbappe as a center forward in a match that turned out to be complicated.
“It is an honor and a privilege to live these nights here, suffering, but also winning,” said Ancelotti.
“We struggled a lot in the first half. They paid for our efforts and we were better in the second half.”
In the first half, Madrid was a bit disorganized, but in the second they were a steamroller, despite not having reached their best level yet, which is evident from a large number of lost passes (113), although they had control of the ball (52%), shot more (13-7) and better (6-2 on target).
But still, a win is a win, and getting off to a good start is always important, especially in a season that is going to be very long.
The first half ended 0-0 after 45 minutes of much ado about nothing, with just three shots from Madrid and only two from Atalanta, none of them on target.
The common denominator was a lot of fighting, mainly in the midfield, and although the Whites had greater dominance (54%) the disorder did not let them progress.
Ancelotti’s team dominated the first 15 minutes, although in a futile manner, as they did not create any dangerous chances against the Italian team, which defended very well and counterattacked meaningfully.
Then it was the turn of Gian Piero Gasperini’s team who had their chances, pushing the Whites back into their own half until the half-hour mark.
The final moments before the break were uncontrolled and it was Madrid who had the clearest chance of the first half with a shot from Rodrigo that hit the crossbar in the minute of added time.
The match got lively at the start of the second half, which started off in high gear with a back-and-forth in which it seemed that either of the two could score. If Atalanta did not do so it was because of a great save from Thibaut Courtois.
Goals that you don’t score are scored for you and in the 59th minute Valverde opened the scoring by finishing off a pass from Vinicius Jr., who after receiving from Bellingham, went to the goal line in a great individual play to give a measured pass to the Uruguayan that put Real Madrid 1-0 up.
A minute later, Vinicius missed the second one alone in front of goalkeeper Juan Musso, who deflected his shot.
Musso put on his Superman cape again by saving Bellingham’s shot after the corner.
Madrid kept attacking an Atalanta side that was on the mat after the goal, until the 68th minute when the Merengue team scored their second goal, the first from Mbappe dressed in white.
Rodrygo stole the ball, went down the right, and passed it to Vinicius who sent a pass into the six-yard box that found no finisher.
Bellingham picked up the ball on the left side of the area and sent a nice pass to Mbappe who, after making a good run, shot with his right foot into the corner to make it 2-0.
Luka Modric came on for Rodrygo to control the remaining minutes and then Ancelotti put Brahim Diaz in for Mbappe, who was applauded.
The Whites coach then brought on Lucas Vazquez for Dani Carvajal, Arda Guler for Vinicius, Dani Ceballos for Bellingham, and left the more defensive players like Courtois, the center-backs Militao and Antonio Rudiger, the full-back Ferland Mendy, the central midfielder Aurelien Thouachameni and the midfielder Valverde for the 90 minutes to seal the victory.
Modric and Carvajal lifted the European Super Champions trophy.
