Football
In the UEFA Super Cup, Mbappe scores on his debut as Madrid defeats Atalanta.
On Wednesday in Warsaw, Kylian Mbappe scored on his Real Madrid debut to help his new team defeat Atalanta 2-0 and win the UEFA Super Cup for the record sixth time.
After years of waiting to play for his ideal team, the French forward sensation finally joined Los Blancos this summer upon his departure from Paris Saint-Germain, and he celebrated his debut with a goal.
After the Italian Europa League winners held their own in the first half, Fede Valverde broke the tie for the holders of the Champions League in the 59th minute with a close-range shot.
Madrid started to build momentum, and in the 68th minute, Mbappe scored a spectacular goal to secure the win after Jude Bellingham had spotted his run into space in the box.
With Madrid’s victory, head coach Carlo Ancelotti tied previous Los Blancos coach Miguel Munoz for the most titles won as a club manager with 14.
This season, the Italian’s first priority is creating a system that would maximize the performance of his wide range of attacking players.
Mbappe started in the middle of Madrid’s forward line, with Vinicius Junior to his left and Rodrygo Goes to his right, offering a glimpse of how Ancelotti may use him this season.
Consequently, Bellingham, an England international, did not play in the forward position he started last season with such devastating goalscoring effect; instead, he was a member of the midfield trio.
In a close first half, Mbappe’s best opportunity came in the fifteenth minute, but Isak Hien expertly blocked his attempt from the middle of the box.
After shocking Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League final the previous season, Gian Piero Gasperini’s Atalanta made their Super Cup debut. Eder Militao nearly gave them the lead by heading Marten de Roon’s cross over his own bar.
Bellingham took a hard touch to control a deft pass from Vinicius and was booked for a late push on Atalanta goalkeeper Juan Musso during a raid forward from midfield.
Vinicius set Rodrygo up, and he clipped the top of Atalanta’s crossbar right before halftime.
At the beginning of the second half, Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who was injured for the majority of the previous season, made an incredible one-handed save to deflect a header by Mario Pasalic.
Mbappe motion
Before the hour, Madrid’s Valverde broke the scoreless draw, scoring from close range as Atalanta’s defense fretted over Mbappe’s increased freedom of movement.
Vinicius, who was becoming more and more important, feed Bellingham, who then sliced the ball across the goal for the Uruguayan midfielder to score.
When Vinicius was let through on goal, Musso knocked over his attempt, which would have doubled Madrid’s lead.
As Madrid attempted a second, Swedish defender Hien stopped Bellingham, and Musso then stopped the former Borussia Dortmund player.
After Bellingham sustained an onslaught and saw the Frenchman’s deft maneuver, Mbappe eventually finished it off with a deadly flourish.
The Madrid supporters applauded the striker after Ancelotti took him off the field in the 83rd minute—probably the first of many that to come.