At 3:00 AM on August 15th, Real Madrid and Atalanta will face off in the UEFA Super Cup at the National Stadium in Warsaw. This match could potentially be Kylian Mbappé’s debut for Real Madrid.
Real Madrid eliminated RB Leipzig, Manchester City, and Bayern Munich on their way to the Champions League Final last season. They went on to defeat Borussia Dortmund 2-0 to claim their 15th Champions League title. Atalanta, meanwhile, proved their strength in the Europa League, overcoming Liverpool and Leverkusen to clinch their first-ever European trophy. This victory ended manager Gian Piero Gasperini’s long wait for a title.
This summer, Real Madrid acquired Mbappé, adding him to their roster alongside Endrick. According to Transfermarkt, the Galacticos’ squad is valued at 1.36 billion euros, second only to Premier League giants Manchester City. Real Madrid boasts three “€180 million men” in Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham, and Mbappé, with seven players valued at over €100 million.
Despite only securing one victory in their three preseason friendlies, Real Madrid remains undefeated in their last 26 official matches. Their last official defeat was on January 19th in the Copa del Rey Round of 16, where they suffered a 2-4 loss to their city rivals Atlético Madrid.
However, Real Madrid faces some uncertainties, including Mbappé’s absence from the entire preseason. But according to Marca, the French superstar will make his debut in the UEFA Super Cup, playing alongside Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo in the attack. Bellingham could potentially start on the bench, while Eduardo Camavinga sustained an injury in training, ruling him out of the match. These factors add suspense to Carlo Ancelotti’s team selection, and the lack of on-field cohesion for the full-strength squad leaves the outcome of the UEFA Super Cup uncertain.
Atalanta has also made significant transfer moves this summer, including the permanent signing of Charles De Ketelaere and the acquisition of defender Godfrey. They also brought in Nicolo Zaniolo from Galatasaray. Meanwhile, they retained Teun Koopmeiners and Ademola Lookman, strengthening their squad depth. But fate has dealt Atalanta a blow, as their main striker, Gianluca Scamacca, suffered a serious injury during the preseason and will be sidelined for an extended period. To fill the void, Atalanta acquired Rasmus Højlund for €22 million, bringing their total squad value to €430 million, a significant gap compared to Real Madrid.
Atalanta’s preseason performances have been underwhelming, drawing 2-2 with AZ Alkmaar, suffering a 1-4 defeat to Parma, and losing 0-3 to Bundesliga newcomers St. Pauli. They conceded six goals across these three games while scoring only three, highlighting their struggles in both attack and defense.
The two teams have only met twice before, in the Champions League Round of 16 during the 2020/21 season. Real Madrid emerged victorious, winning 1-0 away and 3-1 at home. They clearly have a psychological advantage, but Atalanta is eager for revenge against the Galacticos.
It’s worth noting that Real Madrid currently holds five UEFA Super Cup titles, tied with AC Milan and Barcelona. Another victory would make them the sole holder of the record with six titles. Will Mbappé impress in his debut, and can the Galacticos start the new season with a trophy? We’ll have to wait and see.
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