By Ohuakanwa Chibuzo
In a commanding display, Real Madrid secured their sixth European Super Cup title on Wednesday, defeating Italy’s Atalanta 2-0. The victory, marked by Kylian Mbappé‘s debut goal for the club, saw Madrid surpass both Barcelona and AC Milan, who have each claimed the trophy five times.
Uruguayan midfielder Federico Valverde opened the scoring in the 59th minute, capitalizing on a close-range opportunity to put the reigning European champions ahead. Just nine minutes later, Mbappé, who joined Madrid from Paris Saint-Germain in June, doubled the lead with a stunning strike into the top corner, assisted by Jude Bellingham.
Despite Atalanta’s lack of experience on such a grand stage, the Europa League champions showed admirable resilience and posed a significant threat to Madrid throughout the match. The Italian side, making their first appearance in the Super Cup, nearly took the lead when Marten de Roon’s deflected shot struck the bar. Thibaut Courtois, Madrid’s stalwart goalkeeper, was also called into action, producing crucial saves to deny Ademola Lookman and Mario Pasalic.
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Real Madrid had opportunities to extend their lead further, with Rodrygo hitting the bar in first-half stoppage time and Vinícius Junior missing a chance following a swift counter-attack. Bellingham, too, squandered two promising opportunities before setting up Mbappé for Madrid’s second goal.
Mbappé, who has already claimed seven Ligue 1 titles with PSG and Monaco, finally tasted European club success with this win. The 25-year-old forward was substituted seven minutes before the end, receiving applause from fans as Real Madrid celebrated their historic victory.
