Mbappe could secure silverware in his first Real Madrid appearance
Kylian Mbappe is in line to make his Real Madrid debut in the UEFA Super Cup on Wednesday night.
The Champions League winners take on Atalanta, who won the Europa League last season, at the National Stadium in Warsaw, and Mbappe will hope to immediately lift his first trophy in a Madrid shirt.
The Frenchman was unveiled last month as a Madrid player, but has not yet made his debut for the club after being given time off following his Euro 2024 involvement.
There is every chance he starts here, though, with Mbappe potentially leading the line and supported by Rodrygo and Vinicius Jr out wide. Jude Bellingham has also had a limited pre-season due to the Euros, but is still likely to start.
Nacho and Toni Kroos have left the club since Madrid beat Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League final, but Eder Militao and Aurelien Tchouameni are strong options to replace them in the starting lineup.
As for Atalanta, Charles De Ketelaere’s move to the club was made permanent earlier this summer, while Ben Godfrey has joined from Everton and Nicolo Zaniolo is a loan signing from Roma.
Gianluca Scamacca will not lead the line, as he faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury in pre-season.
Teun Koopmeiners will not be involved, after Atalanta boss Gian Piero Gasperini revealed the midfielder has skipped training in an attempt to secure a move to Juventus.
“He already has an agreement, he feels stressed and has decided not to play or train with us anymore,” Gasperini said.
“With this attitude he cannot be useful to the team, nor to his team-mates. The club therefore has taken a very firm line, because we feel blackmailed by this situation.”
Real Madrid XI: Courtois; Carvajal, Militao, Rudiger, Mendy; Tchouameni, Valverde, Bellingham; Rodrygo, Mbappe, Vinicius
Atalanta XI: Musso; Djimsiti, Hien, Kolasinac; Zappacosta, Pasalic, Ederson, Ruggeri; Lookman, De Ketelaere; Retegui
Time and date: 8pm BST on Wednesday, August 14, 2024
Venue: National Stadium in Warsaw, Poland
TV channel and live stream: https://flysporthd.com/live-sport/real-madrid-vs-atalanta-202408141845