WARSAW: Kylian Mbappe could not have anticipated a better start to his Real Madrid career as he scored a debut goal to help his new team win the European Super Cup on Wednesday.
After Fede Valverde broke the deadlock from close range for the Champions League holders in the 59th minute, Mbappe fired the ball into the top corner from Jude Bellingham’s pass nine minutes later to double Real’s lead in a 2-0 victory over Atalanta.
“Before the game, we didn’t even talk about (whether he would score), we just expected it to happen,” man-of-the match Bellingham told reporters. “It’s a kind of player who writes his own history... Time and time again, he delivers for his team and he did it again tonight.”
Mbappe, who scored 44 goals for Paris St Germain last season, clinched his first European trophy after winning seven Ligue 1 titles with PSG and Monaco.
He previously came closest to European glory in 2019-20, when PSG finished Champions League runners-up after losing the final 1-0 to Bayern Munich.
“Mbappe did really well, he adapted really well to the team” Real coach Carlo Ancelotti said. “He combined well with Vinicius Junior and with Bellingham. Of course, we have a lot of quality, but we have to play together and we did that tonight.”
After joyfully posing with his first continental silverware, Mbappe appeared overwhelmed by emotion.
“It was a great night. It’s a great moment for me. And we won a title, which is important at Madrid you always have to win,” he said. “I am very happy. And with the goal too it is important for a striker like me. But the most important thing has been to have the pleasure of playing with this team.”
Mbappe also helped Ancelotti become the coach who has brought the most major trophies to Real Madrid, the Italian levelling the tally of 14 by Miguel Munoz who managed the Spanish giants from 1948-58.
Ancelotti’s first task this season is designing a system that can get the best out of his array of attacking stars.
Mbappe began through the middle of Real’s forward line, flanked by Vinicius Junior on the left and Rodrygo Goes on the right, in the first look at how he might fit into Ancelotti’s plans this season.
As a result England international Bellingham played as part of the midfield trio rather than in the advanced position he began last season in to such devastating goalscoring effect.
“Mbappe has the quality to score a lot of goals,” Ancelotti said. “What we have to look for is balance in the team — today we didn’t have that balance.
“It was a very difficult game. The second half was much better, we had more space in front and we showed our qualities. In the first half, however, we struggled a lot. Atalanta played really well defensively, and we had difficulty in finding space.”
Mbappe could have opened the scoring in the 15th minute but his first-time attempt was blocked by the Atalanta defence.
Italy’s Atalanta, without injured striker Gianluca Scamacca and midfielder Teun Koopmeiners, showed no fear against their illustrious opponents as they played in their first Super Cup.
After soaking up Real’s initial pressure, Gian Piero Gasperini’s side grew increasingly confident and Marten de Roon’s deflected shot crashed against the bar.
Atalanta continued to make chances, Ederson shooting just wide from distance before Real keeper Thibaut Courtois saved Ademola Lookman’s strike.
Rodrygo missed an excellent chance for Real in first-half stoppage time, sending a low pass from Vinicius Jr. against the bar.
Atalanta continued to press after the break and Mario Pasalic tested Courtois with a header which the Belgian goalkeeper brilliantly denied with his finger tips.
Real broke the deadlock when Valverde converted a precise pass from Vinicius.
They could have doubled their lead through Vinicius following a fine counter-attack and Bellingham wasted two good chances before he set up Mbappe for Real’s second, cutting the ball back for the Frenchman to provide a neat finish.
The 25-year-old striker was given an ovation by Madrid’s fans after Ancelotti brought him off in the 83rd minute, likely the first of many.
Mbappe said that he expected to improve in the weeks ahead, with Real’s La Liga campaign starting on Saturday against Real Mallorca.
“I am sure we will get better and me first of all — but today is a positive step,” added the striker.
Atalanta travel to Lecce for their Serie A season opener on Monday.
“Real Madrid are undoubtedly strong. They deserved to win at the end of the game because they opened up, they then had the situations to score an extra goal,” Gasperini said. “As a team we lacked the cynicism of the finals... We had the feeling that with a bit of cynicism, at a certain point, it was even within our reach.”
Published in Dawn, August 16th, 2024
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