The first title of the season at the European level will be decided in the capital of Poland, Warsaw, specifically at the national stadium of the country.
The UEFA Champions League holder, Real Madrid, and the winner of the Europa League for the 2023/24 season, Atalanta, will contest the UEFA Super Cup in a match that is expected to mark Kylian Mbappé’s debut with the Los Merengues jersey.
The match is scheduled for the evening of Wednesday (14/08, 22:00), and will be broadcast live on MEGA.
Mbappé’s first opportunity
Since being unveiled in a packed Santiago-Bernabéu, the former Paris Saint-Germain forward was able to enjoy a few days of vacation before starting his physical preparation while his teammates were on tour in the United States.
For the 25-year-old star, this meeting with Atalanta represents a first challenge and an opportunity to showcase his talent and current condition:
“I will give my life for this club and this badge. I am proud to realize my dream and become a player for the best club in the history of football,” said the French striker in flawless Spanish during his official presentation.
Real Madrid will attempt to… gain a sweet solitude in the Super Cup trophy record, distancing themselves from Barcelona and Milan, with whom they currently share five titles each, and become the first team to win the sixth title, while Carlo Ancelotti seeks a fifth as a coach, something no one has achieved in the past, as he currently shares the first place – with four – with Pep Guardiola.
Additionally, the scorer of the Champions League final, Dani Carvajal, and midfield maestro Luka Modrić could become the first players to achieve five victories in the Super Cup.
The quest for seven trophies and the great significance of the Super Cup
And if for some, many, the excitement might be the prospect of a first glimpse of Kylian Mbappé dressed in the colors of Real Madrid, for Carlo Ancelotti, the rest of the team, and the Madrid fans, the excitement is the pursuit of another trophy.
The Italian coach has made it clear that, although the Madrid team has seven trophies to compete for this season, winning the Super Cup is of fundamental importance for him and the club.
Atalanta’s first time
Atalanta makes its debut in the Super Cup after winning their first major continental title with a stunning 3-0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League final in Dublin. The Italian team may start the meeting in Poland as the underdog, but will undoubtedly want to continue surprising people, just as they did in 2023/24, knowing that no other Italian team has played in a UEFA Super Cup final for 14 years. The last was Inter in 2010.
The absence of Scamacca and Lookman
Once again, Gian Piero Gasperini’s players will strive to defy the odds against the most successful team in Europe. Certainly, the recent knee injury to Gianluca Scamacca will not help their cause, but they hope that Ademola Lookman, the hat-trick hero against Leverkusen, will have another magical European night.
Referee: Sandro Scherer (Switzerland)
Possible line-ups:
Real Madrid (Carlo Ancelotti): Courtois, Carvajal, Militao, Rüdiger, Mendy, Valverde, Tchouaméni, Modrić, Bellingham, Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior
Atalanta (Gian Piero Gasperini): Musso, Djimsiti, Højlund, Kolašinac, Zappacosta, Ederson, De Roon, Ruggeri, De Ketelaere, Retegui, Lookman