Kylian Mbappe will make his first-team bow for Real Madrid when they meet Atalanta in the UEFA Super Cup clash on Wednesday.
Real Madrid will aim to win the first silverware of the 2024/25 season when they lock horns with Atalanta at the National Stadium in Warsaw for the UEFA Super Cup on Wednesday night. And Carlo Ancelotti does not have many issues to contend with ahead of his side’s first game of the campaign.
David Alaba is a long-term absentee due to a knee injury, with the Austrian international still in recovery mode. In addition, Eduardo Camavinga might not feature against Atalanta after picking up a heavy knock in training on Tuesday.
The Frenchman was in the travelling squad for the UEFA Super Cup, but Ancelotti might not risk him this midweek. Meanwhile, the Italian tactician talked about Real Madrid’s star signing Kylian Mbappe during his pre-match press conference. He also discussed how his squad is settling down ahead of the 2024/25 season.
The Real Madrid manager said, “Mbappé is in good shape, as are all the lads. We haven’t had much time to train but we are looking good, Kylian included. He’s arrived in great form and he’s settling in well. Everyone here is in with a chance of playing tomorrow. He’s adapting really well, he’s focused in training, motivated, and he’s working hard. He’s showing his incredible quality too.”
Ancelotti continued, “We’ve had a very healthy, happy atmosphere in the dressing room these last few years. That’s down to players like Carvajal, Modrić, Valverde, Lucas Vázquez, as well as Nacho and Kroos. We haven’t got any princes or kings here. It’s just a group of players with different qualities, who have shown they are able to bring together their attributes to the service of the team. That’s what we’ll be looking to achieve this season too.”
Mbappe will make his Real Madrid bow by spearheading the attack, with Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo completing the numbers in the final third. So, Jude Bellingham will drop into a deeper role after playing from an advanced position throughout the 2023/24 season.
Bellingham will accompany Aurelien Tchouameni and Federico Valverde in the middle of the park. So, Luka Modric and Arda Guler will be options on the bench. Finally, there is no looking past Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao, Antonio Rudiger, and Ferland Mendy in the backline, with Thibaut Courtois an automatic pick between the sticks.
Predicted Real Madrid XI: Courtois; Carvajal, Militao, Rudiger, Mendy; Valverde, Tchouameni, Bellingham; Rodrygo, Mbappe, Vinicius Junior
