- Mbappé's successful debut: Real take the UEFA Super Cup trophy
Football superstar Kylian Mbappé scored his first goal and won his first title with Real Madrid in his debut match. The Champions League winners secured the UEFA Super Cup with a 2-0 victory over Italian Europa League champions Atalanta Bergamo in Warsaw. Fede Valverde (59th minute) and Mbappé (68th) were the match winners for Carlo Ancelotti's Real side.
German national player Antonio Rüdiger was also delighted with the first title win of the season. The last German to win the UEFA Super Cup was Bayern Munich in 2020.
Ancelotti immediately named Mbappé in the Real starting lineup. The 25-year-old French World Cup winner from 2018 played alongside Brazilian Vinicius Junior and former Dortmund player Jude Bellingham. However, Mbappé struggled to connect with his new teammates in the first half, with many of his attempts being neutralized by Atalanta's defense. This changed in the second half.
Atalanta had the first chances of the game. In the 25th minute, Real's Eder Militao headed the ball onto his own crossbar after a cross from Marten de Roon. Two minutes later, Ederson's shot narrowly missed Real keeper Thibaut Courtois' goal. Rodrygo had Real's first notable chance just before halftime, but his shot hit the crossbar.
Atalanta continued to press at the start of the second half. Courtois made a brilliant save from Mario Pasalic's header (47th). Real then took control. Valverde, wearing Kroos' former number 8 shirt, scored from close range after a assist from Vinicius Junior. Mbappé then scored his first goal for Real in the 68th minute, finishing from close range after a beautiful pass from Bellingham. Mbappé was substituted off to great applause in the 83rd minute.
Mbappé was presented to Real fans just under a month ago. He joined on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain and signed a contract until 2029. Real fans hope the 2018 World Cup winner will bring them many more titles in the future. Mbappé missed Real's US tour due to his summer break after the Euros in Germany.
Despite his initial struggles, Kylian Mbappé expressed his satisfaction with not taking part in Real's US tour, stating, "I'm not going to regret missing it." The second-half transformation saw Mbappé and Valverde secure Real Madrid's UEFA Super Cup victory.
