Emotional Kylian Mbappe makes dream Real Madrid start in Super Cup

WARSAW – Kylian Mbappe could not have anticipated a better start to his Real Madrid career as he scored a debut goal to help his new team win the European Super Cup on Aug 14.

“We are at Real Madrid, we have no limit. If I can score 50, then 50, but the most important thing is winning and improving as a team, because we will win as a team,” he told Movistar, when asked if he was aiming to net 50 goals this season.

Mbappe fired the ball into the top corner from Jude Bellingham’s pass to double Real’s lead in a 2-0 victory over Atalanta at the Kazimierz Gorski National Stadium in Warsaw.

Federico Valverde broke the deadlock from close range for the Champions League holders in the 59th minute, after the Italian Europa League winners held their own in the first half.

“Before the game, we didn’t even talk about (whether he would score), we just expected it to happen,” said Man of the Match Bellingham.

“He’s a kind of player who writes his own history... Time and time again, he delivers for his team and he did it again tonight.”

Mbappe, who scored 44 goals for Paris Saint-Germain last season, clinched his first European trophy after winning seven Ligue 1 titles with PSG and Monaco.

He previously came closest to European glory in 2019-20, when PSG finished as Champions League runners-up after losing the final 1-0 to Bayern Munich.

“Mbappe did really well, he adapted really well to the team,” Real coach Carlo Ancelotti said.

“He combined well with Vinicius (Jr) and with Bellingham. Of course, we have a lot of quality, but we have to play together and we did that tonight.”

Mbappe began through the middle of Real’s forward line, flanked by Vinicius on the left and Rodrygo on the right, in the first look at how he might fit into Ancelotti’s plans this season.

Rodrygo said Ancelotti had told the forwards to shift their positions frequently, which was evident in the second half.

“The coach asked us to go changing positions a lot, or staying apart,” the Brazilian told Movistar.

“They were man-marking, so we had to move and that’s what happened during the game.”

After joyfully posing with his first continental silverware, Mbappe appeared overwhelmed by emotion.

“It was a great night. It’s a great moment for me. And we won a title, which is important – at Madrid you always have to win,” he said.

“I am very happy. And with the goal too – it is important for a striker like me. But the most important thing has been to have the pleasure of playing with this team.”

Mbappe also helped Ancelotti become the coach who has brought the most major trophies to Real, the Italian levelling the tally of 14 by Miguel Munoz, who managed the Spanish giants from 1960 to 1974.

Said Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini: “Real Madrid are undoubtedly strong. They deserved to win at the end of the game because they opened up – they then had the situations to score an extra goal.

“As a team we lacked the cynicism of the final... We had the feeling that with a bit of cynicism, at a certain point, it was even within our reach.”

Real kick off their La Liga season on Aug 18 at Copa del Rey finalists Mallorca. Atalanta travel to Lecce for their Serie A season opener on Aug 19. REUTERS, AFP