Federico Valverde and Kylian Mbappé scored as Real Madrid clinched a record-breaking sixth UEFA Super Cup, defeating Atalanta 2-0.
Gianpiero Gasperini’s side showed promise at times, but Real Madrid did what they do best and won, kicking off a new era of Galáctico dominance in the process.
As it happened
This was always going to be his day. He’s the newest, brightest gem adorning an already encrusted crown. They’re Real for a reason; they’re the undisputed kings of Europe. Today he lined up among his fellow stars, the newest prince of Madrid. He’s Kylian Mbappé.
With him now in the ranks, Ancelotti has a quite terrific problem to wrestle with: how do you add another superstar to a team already brimming with them? Pleasant an issue as it is, there are real issues here. World class footballers are the most prized assets in the sport, but the better the player the bigger the ego. Too many cooks can spoil the broth. It’s a headscratcher for the manager; an eyebrow-raiser, if you will.
On today’s evidence, his solution is typical Ancelotti: let them do what they want. He is, as it has already been said, the Rick Rubin of football management. Why micromanage every little detail when you can sit back and let positive affirmations do that for you?
It seems an oversimplification, but that’s what we saw today. Real Madrid were almost bizarrely fluid. Vinícius started on the left but would drop into the base of midfield. His void would be filled by Bellingham, or if he wanted to drift into the area, it would be Rodrygo, or a driving, hopeful Mbappé.
But the flip side of this is that hands-off fluidity can become lackadaisicalness. It was a sloppy first half performance at times. Atalanta’s plan was clear: man mark, pounce on mistakes, hit on the break. Los Blancos’ plan was much harder to discern.
It nearly backfired on them on a number of occasions; Aurélien Tchouaméni needlessly cleared a ball destined for the grasp of Thibaut Courtois, and the resulting throw-in saw Marten de Roon volley an effort (with the aid of a sizeable Éder Militão deflection) onto the bar. A loose pass saw Ademola Lookman through on goal with ten minutes left of the first half, but Antonio Rüdiger tracked back quickly enough to put out the fire. Right towards the end of the half, an inability to clear allowed Lookman to volley an effort which may well have found the back of the net if Dani Carvajal wasn’t in the way.
Embed from Getty ImagesAs is customary with Real Madrid, though, mistakes went unpunished. That’s the beauty of stockpiling the world’s best footballers: it doesn’t matter if a ‘worse’ team plays pretty football and has lots of chances when you can rely on one of your four world-class attackers to go up the other end and score without really trying.
No surprises then that the best chance of the first half was coloured white. Vinícius, acutely aware of Luka Modrić’s absence, took on the responsibility of outside-of-the-boot-playmaking to bypass no fewer than five Atalanta statues in the box, finding Rodrygo, who could only blast a left footed strike onto the bar and over.
For every attack silently observed and considered by Ancelotti was another bellowed and driven forward by Gianpiero Gasperini. Both sides were on top until they weren’t – Real Madrid would dominate for ten minutes, and Atalanta would do the same for the next ten. Two very different approaches; one built on freedom and expression, another on discipline and structure. Star players adorned one side, grafters the other.
But only one side had Vinícius Júnior. Linking up play the entire game, he seemingly took up the role of a more mobile Toni Kroos. So, when he drove into the area on the hour mark, looked up and found Federico Valverde in space in the six-yard box, the end result was a given. One pass into the area later, the ball was tapped into the net by the Uruguayan, and Real Madrid led with a degree of inevitability.
Embed from Getty ImagesThis is what Real Madrid and Carlo Ancelotti do. They almost allow their opponents a semblance of hope, they wait for mistakes, and only then do they take the initiative to score. They can afford to do it. They have the best players in the world after all. They have Galácticos.
So, Atalanta kept trying. Mario Pašalić was denied a certain goal by a flying Thibaut Courtois. Marten de Roon latched onto a terrific cross from Matteo Ruggeri but could only volley wide. Ben Godfrey came onto the pitch and had an effort cleared off the line. Missed chance on missed chance, and that can only lead to one result when your opponents are wearing the white of Real Madrid.
He hadn’t been too present so far. The occasional run into the area, the occasional shot either blocked or wide, the occasional involvement on the edge of the box. But this was his day, after all. He’s following in the footsteps of Raúl, two Ronaldos and Karim Benzema. He’s a number nine and number nines are designed to do one thing: score goals.
As such, when Kylian Mbappé did score, there was a feeling that the script was being read to a tee. The question wasn’t so much whether he’d score, but who would help him there. On this occasion, it was Jude Bellingham playing in a rather hopeful ball into the area, waiting for someone to run onto it. When that someone did, he powered it high into the roof of the net. It was Mbappé of course. He sprinted off, jumped, folded his arms. His trademark and one we’ll be seeing again this season.
Embed from Getty ImagesIt really is a perfect footballing story; a boy who grew up idolising Cristiano Ronaldo and Real Madrid by proxy. Drawn out as the tale may be, we’ve finally reached its most fabled chapter. He’s 25 now. No longer a boy dreaming a dream but a man at the peak of his powers realising it.
He’ll take the headlines. Kylian Mbappé is officially a Real Madrid goal-scorer and already a trophy-winner. But spare a thought for Vinícius Júnior, the man pulling the strings throughout and, in many ways, the real star of the show.
Not that that matters – those two and Bellingham are ‘the trident’ now, their successes living vicariously through one another. They’re the new Galácticos, champions of Spain and Europe already, pushing to reach heights never before seen in football. An unprecedented sixth UEFA Super Cup is a nice way to start.
Atalanta were decent, but decent doesn’t beat Real Madrid. Another trophy in the cabinet and only two losses in twelve months begs the question: what does beat them? Who can? Those questions will probably be answered this season. But for now we’re witnessing something pretty close to footballing perfection, improved upon almost impossibly by one Kylian Mbappé.
The lineups
RMA: Courtois; Mendy, Rüdiger, Militão, Carvajal; Tchouameni, Valverde; Vinícius Jr., Bellingham, Rodrygo; Mbappé
ATA: Musso; Kolašinac, Hien, Djimsiti; Ruggeri, Éderson, De Roon, Zappacosta; Pašalić, Lookman, De Ketelaere