Vinicius and Bellingham Ignite Mbappé's Celebration

It took just one match for Kylian Mbappé to experience firsthand the numerous benefits of playing for Real Madrid. In a particularly challenging clash against Atalanta, Vinicius and Bellingham went all out to ensure the star from Bondy had a dream debut with the Chamartín side. And the French ace responded to his new teammates' display of energy and quality by scoring the first of what promises to be a long series of stunning goals for his beloved club. His goal, an unstoppable right-footed shot into the top corner, decided a fiercely contested battle against Gian Piero Gasperini's always combative squad, allowing Real Madrid to lift their sixth UEFA Super Cup.

This trophy keeps alive the dream of a 'septuple', puts some distance between Real Madrid and both Barcelona and AC Milan, who each have five titles, and elevates Carlo Ancelotti's legend, now with fourteen titles as Real Madrid's manager, equalling the unforgettable Miguel Muñoz. It also enhances Luka Modric's legacy, now with 27 titles as a Real Madrid player, one more than Nacho, and who lifted the trophy to the Warsaw sky for the first time as captain after twelve dazzling years.

Both are living legends of Madridismo, and Mbappé is starting to write his own golden chapter by immediately adding an international club trophy to his collection. What he couldn't achieve in seven seasons with PSG, he has done in just one match with Real Madrid. His transfer may have taken an eternity, but the long wait was worth it. And this is just the beginning.

Match corresponding to the UEFA Super Cup, held at the National Stadium in Warsaw before 56,042 spectators.

Ancelotti showed his hand at the start of the season with a lineup that looks set to be his gala eleven throughout the 2024-25 campaign. It didn't matter that six of his starters had only been training for a week and were donning their kits for the first time since returning from vacation. The significance of the occasion demanded that the coach showcase his collection of stars, and he did just that.

With Carvajal and Mendy as full-backs, Valverde, Tchouaméni, and Bellingham in midfield, and Mbappé ready to shine as the spearhead in his debut as a Real Madrid player alongside the slightly more seasoned Courtois, Militao, Rüdiger, Rodrygo, and Vinicius, Chamartín's team paraded through Warsaw's National Stadium in full regalia against Atalanta. This is an authorial team whose tailor, Gian Piero Gasperini, has been applying patch after patch during a scorching summer.

Despite this, the Piedmontese coach—once a classmate of Carletto—has instilled an adventurous character in his Bergamasque side that permeates every one of their appearances on the pitch. Regardless of who they face, the 'Nerazzurri' fight valiantly with individual marking and relentless pressing that discomforts any opponent. They maintained these hallmarks on Polish soil and initially stifled a rhythm-lacking Real Madrid.

A failed deflection by Militao following De Roon's shot that hit the crossbar gave Real Madrid their first scare before half an hour had passed. Until then, they had only threatened with an initial shot from Mbappé blocked by Hien and a cross from Carvajal narrowly missed by Vinicius. Ancelotti's team lacked a creative vector in midfield—bereft of Kroos's unique guidance—and was not clear-sighted enough to exploit Atalanta's gaps. Nonetheless, Rodrygo had an excellent chance just before halftime after receiving a fabulous outside-of-the-foot pass from Vinicius, but his left-footed strike was violently repelled by the crossbar.

Ancelotti kept his cards unchanged after halftime, and Atalanta again sounded alarms right at the restart with a header from Pasalic that required a superb save from Courtois—a display worthy of an immense goalkeeper in perpetual grace. However, Real Madrid began to show another spirit: more electric, expansive, and dynamic. The European champions gained consistency as Mbappé and Vinicius swapped positions and Bellingham took command. The Englishman—MVP of the match—led Real Madrid's advance and instilled fear in Atalanta's ranks. Still, it was Vinicius who dismantled La Dea with a signature dribble that left Djimsiti rooted before delivering a decisive pass to Valverde who was pivotal appearing in the number nine zone.

Musso then had to multiply himself to avoid further damage. Vinicius first and Bellingham twice came close to scoring again but were stopped 'in extremis' by the Argentine goalkeeper. Real Madrid smelled blood and threatened to deliver the final blow. Mbappé did so by fulfilling the dream script: collecting a service from Bellingham after Rodrygo's steal sent Atalanta into disarray before slotting home with a right-footed shot into the top corner. After seven years delaying his arrival at Santiago Bernabéu, Bondy's prodigy took just 68 minutes to make his mark. That's how he rolls.