The former Paris Saint-Germain star grabbed the headlines in the Super Cup final, but Los Blancos’ other two poster boys didn’t shrink in his presence
From goal.com
“A great night,” Kylian Mbappe told Movistar after opening his goal and trophy account in his first game as a Real Madrid player. “I’ve been waiting for this moment a long time, to play in this shirt, with this badge, for these fans. It’s a great moment for me.”
Mbappe could scarcely have imagined a better start to his career with Los Blancos. Expectations couldn’t be higher after the Frenchman’s long-awaited move to Santiago Bernabeu – which came after the expiration of his contract at Paris Saint-Germain in June – and supporters were treated to a tantalising glimpse of what he will bring to the table at the National Stadium in Warsaw.
Madrid lifted their sixth UEFA Super Cup after a 2-0 victory against Europa League holders Atalanta, with Fede Valverde tapping home their opener before a superb Mbappe finish put the final result beyond all doubt. It was Mbappe’s night, but Madrid also emphatically silenced a host of doubters with their performance, particularly in the second half.
Crucially, Carlo Ancelotti found a way to fit Mbappe, Vinicus Jr and Jude Bellingham into his line up without upsetting the overall balance of the team. In fact, Vinicius and Bellingham were the two best players on the pitch, which should leave all of Madrid’s rivals across the continent quaking in their boots as they bid to defend their La Liga and Champions League crowns…
Atalanta overpowered
As expected, Mbappe started through the middle against Atalanta, with the left-wing slot he made his own at PSG occupied by Vinicius while Rodrygo was deployed on the opposite flank. Meanwhile, England sensation Bellingham, who either led the line or played as a No.10 for the majority of his first season at Real, filled in on the left of a midfield three alongside Aurelien Tchouameni and Valverde.
Bellingham struggled to get involved in that deeper role as Atalanta frustrated Madrid in the first half. Mbappe also barely had a meaningful touch, while Vinicius and Rodrygo found it hard to find space against the Serie A side’s disciplined five-man defence.
Ancelotti, though, made a subtle tweak at the break that changed the course of the game. Mbappe and Vinicius essentially swapped places and Bellingham pushed further forward, prompting an instant increase in intensity upfront that led to Valverde breaking the deadlock.
Just before the hour mark, Bellingham picked the ball up 40 yards from goal and drove towards the box before laying it off for Vinicius, who then glided past his marker and set Valverde up for the easiest goal he will ever score. The tension in the air remained for the next 10 minutes, but Rodrygo’s dogged determination to win back possession lifted the white half of the crowd, and he also had the composure to pick out an intelligent run from Vinicius.
The Brazilian’s subsequent pass across goal was overhit, but Bellingham kept it alive and eventually fed Mbappe to rifle the ball into the top corner with a perfectly controlled first-time shot. Atalanta simply could not cope with Real’s new prized triumvirate when the game opened up and, in the end, Gian Piero Gasperini’s men were fortunate the margin of defeat was not far greater.
‘No princes or kings’
Bellingham went home with the Player-of-the-Match award, and he was a worthy winner, but Vinicius was the real star of the show in Poland. He posted the joint-highest number of passes in the final third (20), including his assist for Valverde, attempted the most dribbles (11), and no other player on the pitch was involved in more duels (20).
Vinicius was the ultimate difference-maker for Madrid as they clinched the double in 2023-24 with 35 goal involvements across all competitions. It has been suggested the 24-year-old’s influence will wane due to Mbappe’s presence, but there was no sign of that on Wednesday.
The title of Madrid’s most important player still belongs to Vinicius, and Mbappe will have to get used to sharing the spotlight with the Flamengo academy graduate. Their first outing together was successful, but there weren’t many occasions when they directly linked up, which suggests that building a proper partnership will take time.
Huge egos sharing a dressing room can be problematic; it certainly was for PSG when Mbappe lined up next to Lionel Messi and Neymar. Ancelotti is unrivalled when it comes to handling elite players, though, and has already insisted that Mbappe’s arrival has not damaged the harmony in the squad.
“There are no princes or kings; there are just players with different qualities, players who’ve used their qualities for the good of the team,” the Madrid boss said before the game. If it stays that way, Los Blancos could sweep aside all-comers this season and set a course for a new era of unprecedented dominance.
New challenge for Jude
When quizzed on Vinicius and Bellingham’s contribution against Atalanta, Mbappe replied to Movistar: “They’re two great players. But here we have the best in every position. I’m happy to play with the entire squad we have; we’ll improve for sure, me first of all, but today is a positive step.”
At just 21 years of age, Bellingham is certainly on his way to becoming a great player, but it may be premature to put him in that bracket already. He has so far managed to justify his €103 million (£88m/$113m) price tag since joining Real from Borussia Dortmund, but couldn’t keep up the same high standards for England at Euro 2024 and the technical side of his game still needs polishing.
The challenge for Bellingham now is to keep progressing at Madrid despite inevitably taking a backseat to Mbappe. The talented young midfielder will be required to do more work defensively and pick his moments to spark into life at the other end of the pitch, as he did impressively in the second half against Atalanta.
Bellingham has also acknowledged the importance of speed of thought and execution to provide Mbappe and Vinicius with the service they need to thrive. “It’s brilliant playing with him and [Vinicius Jr], but it’s difficult sometimes,” he said after the final whistle. “You’ve only got two seconds because they are both gone.”
If anyone can get on their wavelength, though, it’s Bellingham. His maturity has been just as important in getting him to this point as his ability, and he always looks to learn from the world-class players around him.
It will be the same with Mbappe. “He’s just one of those players isn’t he? He’s brilliant,” Bellingham added on his new colleague. “So sharp, so much technical quality and a great team-mate as well. He doesn’t just rely on the quality he’s got, he works like a dog for the team.”
‘Not fair’
“I think the coach trusts me to get a feel for positions,” Bellingham continued when pressed on how he will fit into Real’s starting XI this term. “I think when it is necessary I can go higher and when I need to I can help with build-up. Whatever the coach wants from me, I will do.”
Madrid have the strongest forward line in world football, and that’s without even mentioning teenagers Endrick and Arda Guler waiting in the wings on the bench. Vinicius and Rodrygo have picked up from where they left off last season, Mbappe looks hellbent on making a lasting first impression, and with Bellingham pitching in, the 15-time European champions will take some stopping.
“Those four combining, it’s not fair,” former Manchester United and Bayern Munich midfielder Owen Hargreaves said while covering the Super Cup as a pundit for TNT Sport. “If these guys are going to look out for each other and combine like this… That front four playing together, they’re going to put up ridiculous numbers this season.”
Hargreaves’ old United team-mate Rio Ferdinand then quipped: “There are going to be competitions within the team, forget about everyone else. Competitions to get the most assists, get the most goals.”
Madrid didn’t need Mbappe; they’ve won the Champions League twice in the last three years and were comfortably the best team in Spain last season. But they are now more complete. Los Blancos only had ex-Stoke City man Joselu to call upon as a natural centre-forward in 2023-24, with Bellingham forced to shoulder the main goal-scoring burden as a result. With Mbappe on board, there is no longer a weak spot in Real’s attack.
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