Kylian Mbappé makes 'magical' start with goal and trophy on Real Madrid debut
All eyes were on the French forward as he made his Real Madrid debut in the UEFA Super Cup against Atalanta in Warsaw on Wednesday night
The expectation was huge. Following a protracted transfer sage which seemed to drag on for several summers, around 80,000 Real Madrid fans flocked to the Santiago Bernabéu for Kylian Mbappé’s official presentation last month. And on Wednesday night, those supporters finally got to see the French forward in action for their team. He didn’t disappoint.
Mbappé will play much better matches than this for his new club and so too will Real Madrid in 2024-25. But in big finals, results assume greater importance than performances and Los Blancos are the masters when it comes to winning on such occasions. Individually and collectively, improvement is needed and will be expected, but the former Paris Saint-Germain striker was more than happy with his first night’s work as Carlo Ancelotti’s side beat Atalanta 2-0 to win the UEFA Super Cup in Warsaw.
“It’s a magical night,” Mbappé said after the match. “I was always dreaming about this kind of night and now it’s the reality. Now I’m playing for this club, the best club in the world, it’s something crazy. I’m really happy to make my debut today.
“We won a trophy. It’s really important to win a trophy here – because everybody won here. So it’s a big pleasure for me. Also to score a goal: as a striker it’s important for me to be there, to score for my team is always a pleasure. I hope to stay like this and to improve and help the team more.”
Physically, this is not Mbappé at his peak. At Euro 2024, the French forward was hampered by a facial injury suffered early in the tournament but lacked some of the explosiveness which was the trademark of his early years. It was missing again on Wednesday night, and while that is to be expected in the first fixture back after a short summer break, there is clearly work to be done for Real Madrid’s fitness coaches.
But there was one moment to savour as the 25-year-old drove a shot into the top corner from a Jude Bellingham assist to round off a 2-0 win over Atalanta in the 68th minute, with Fede Valverde having opened the scoring just short of the hour mark.
After a difficult first half in which Atalanta made life difficult for Real Madrid, Ancelotti joked that playing the Italian club was “like going to the dentist” and on Mbappé’s debut, the Madrid coach said: “He has the quality to score many goals.”
How many? Mbappé’s idol Cristiano Ronaldo averaged 50 a season in his nine years at Real Madrid and similar will be expected from the French forward. “We’re at Real Madrid, we have no limit, I have no limit.” he said afterwards. “If I can score 50 goals, it’s 50. But the most important thing is to win and improve as a team, because we’re going to win as a team.”
Ancelotti spoke of the need for “balance” in order for that to happen and it will take time – especially with Toni Kroos now retired, Luka Modrić 39 next month and Eduardo Camavinga sidelined for two months with an injury picked up in training on the eve of Wednesday’s match.
But some of the link-up play between Bellingham, Vinícius Júnior and Mbappé in the second half was outstanding and, at a club were numbers and trophies matter more than pretty much everywhere else, this was a strong start for the French forward at Real Madrid.