- Real Madrid Beat Atalanta To Win 6th UEFA Super Cup.
- Three Things We Learned From Real Madrid’s Super Cup Victory
Real Madrid defeated Atalanta on Wednesday night to claim their 6th UEFA Super Cup trophy. The whole footballing world focused on Los Blancos when Coach Carlo Ancelotti named French superstar Kylian Mbappe in the starting XI, just days after he resumed training with his new team.
Everything went well for Real Madrid, and the Spanish giants secured a comfortable win. Federico Valverde opened the scoring after some incredible work from Vinícius Júnior. Debutant Kylian Mbappé sealed the victory with a sliced finish inside the box.
Real Madrid delivered a confident performance, and here are three things we learned from the match:
It Works & It’s Dynamic
What works? The Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius, and Rodrygo combination that fans worried about earlier this summer when Madrid signed Mbappé.
Last night’s performance, especially in the second half, showed that Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius, and Rodrygo can all play together. This trio can be more dynamic than most attacking setups. Vinícius and Mbappé frequently switched positions against Atalanta, creating major problems for the Italian side’s defence.
However, due to Atalanta’s lack of quality ball users and runners in midfield, Real Madrid managed to place their defence a little higher and still survive despite losing crucial second balls, especially in the first half. Stronger teams could exploit this, and the solution for Real Madrid leads us to the second point.
Sacrifices Will Have to Be Made
No matter how hardworking Jude Bellingham and Valverde are, stronger sides that can use the ball well will expose Real Madrid unless the forwards sacrifice and take on some defensive duties.
Bellingham and Valverde covered a lot of ground against Atalanta, which helped Madrid maintain possession, press effectively, and transition smoothly. However, against better “ball-playing” teams with the same energy in midfield, Mbappé, Vinícius, and Rodrygo will need to sacrifice more to assist defensively.
Jude Bellingham Is Too Important
Jude Bellingham delivered another stunning performance. Things may not have gone his way at the Euros final, but he continues to shine for Real Madrid. He was a constant menace against Atalanta.
His work rate, passing, box-to-box runs, tackling, and overall midfield play is top-tier. In a team featuring stars like Vinícius Júnior and Kylian Mbappé, Bellingham might just be the most crucial player due to his exceptional all-around game.
