Kylian Mbappe made an impressive debut for Real Madrid, scoring in their 2-0 victory over Atalanta in the UEFA Super Cup on Wednesday. The France captain played 82 minutes at the National Stadium in Warsaw and contributed the second goal of the match in the 68th minute, following a pass from Jude Bellingham. Mbappe’s shot found the top corner of the net.
Bellingham praised Mbappe, stating, “He’s just one of those players, isn’t he? He is brilliant — he is so sharp, has so much technical quality and a great teammate as well.”
Mbappe celebrated his goal with his trademark gesture, receiving congratulations from teammates Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo. Federico Valverde had opened the scoring for Madrid in the 59th minute with a goal from a Vinicius cross.
The victory secured Real Madrid’s record sixth UEFA Super Cup title. The Super Cup is contested annually between the Champions League winners, Real Madrid, and the Europa League champions, Atalanta. Madrid, with its record 15 European Cup titles, added another trophy to its collection.
Mbappe, wearing Madrid’s No. 9 shirt, started as the central striker but shifted to a wider role in the second half. “We have a new-look team and it seemed to just click tonight,” Bellingham noted. He added, “Sometimes it takes a bit of time – the first half we were still adjusting — and the second half it all came together and we were brilliant.”
The first half saw both teams hit the crossbar, with Madrid’s Eder Militao deflecting a cross onto his own bar and Rodrygo’s shot striking the top of the bar. Atalanta’s Mario Pasalic had an early second-half header saved by Madrid’s goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
Real Madrid’s performance improved after halftime, with Vinicius moving more centrally. Although summer signing Endrick did not come off the bench, Madrid’s coach Carlo Ancelotti faces the challenge of optimizing the team’s attacking options.
Luka Modric, one of five second-half substitutes, lifted the trophy amid gold confetti, with Mbappe joining in the celebrations before also holding the trophy.
