Kylian Mbappé made an instant impact in his debut for Real Madrid, scoring in a 2-0 victory against Atalanta in the UEFA Super Cup on Wednesday. The French forward, 25, who recently signed a five-year contract with the European and Spanish champions, was named in Carlo Ancelotti’s starting XI just weeks after his high-profile free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain.
Mbappé’s first appearance in a Madrid shirt saw him join a star-studded lineup alongside new teammates Jude Bellingham and Vinícius Júnior. Although it took him some time to find his rhythm, the former PSG star delivered in the second half with a powerful strike from the center of the box, doubling Madrid’s lead and sealing the win.
Having joined the team for preseason training last week following his participation in Euro 2024 with France, Mbappé was quickly integrated into the squad for the Super Cup clash against Europa League winners Atalanta, held in Warsaw, Poland.
“Kylian has settled in well, just like the others who haven’t had much time to train,” Ancelotti said in his pre-match press conference. “He’s in good shape and adapting quickly. Everyone in the squad is available to play.”
Ancelotti also joked about the challenge of selecting his starting lineup, given the abundance of attacking talent at his disposal. With Mbappé competing for a place in the forward line alongside Vinícius Júnior, Rodrygo, Endrick, Brahim Díaz, Arda Güler, and Jude Bellingham, the Madrid coach admitted it was a “big problem” to have.
“All summer, I’ve been thinking about who to pick, who not to pick, and it ruined my holidays!” Ancelotti quipped. “We have a lot of games this season, and the same players can’t play all 70 games. Last season, the players who played less were crucial when they came off the bench, and that could be key again.”
When asked about the team’s penalty taker, Ancelotti remained non-committal on whether Mbappé would take over that responsibility. “He takes penalties, but recently Vini has been doing well. I saw Bellingham take one successfully at the Euros, and Valverde was great at the Copa América. We have several options, and I’ll decide based on who starts the game.”
Real Madrid defender Dani Carvajal also praised Mbappé, noting his experience facing the Frenchman as an opponent. “He’s a fantastic player and will be a huge asset for us this season,” Carvajal said.
With this victory, Real Madrid secured their sixth UEFA Super Cup title, having last won the trophy in 2022 with a 2-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt in Helsinki.
Madrid now turns their attention to the start of the LaLiga 2024-25 season, where they will face Mallorca on Sunday. However, the team received a setback with the news that midfielder Eduardo Camavinga suffered a knee ligament sprain during training on Tuesday. Sources indicate that the French international could be sidelined for up to two months due to the injury.
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