Record UEFA Champions League winners Real Madrid are all set to square up against Atalanta for the UEFA Super Cup 2024 on Wednesday.
The 2024/25 season is just around the corner; a few leagues are already underway, while a few more will kick start in a week. Before Real Madrid and Atalanta shift their focus towards their respective leagues, they have an opportunity to start the season by lifting the first European silverware on offer as the two clubs clash for the UEFA Super Cup title on Wednesday at the National Stadium in Warsaw.
Los Blancos won a record 15th Champions League title last season with a rather comfortable win against Borussia Dortmund in the final. Meanwhile, Atalanta did wonders as they managed to defeat Xabi Alonso’s then-unbeaten Bayer Leverkusen in the final of the Europa League.
The Merengues do not have the best of track records heading into this fixture. They have lost two out of their three friendly fixture heading into this one. Real Madrid started with a 1-0 defeat to AC Milan, followed it up with a 2-1 loss to Barcelona before returning to winning ways against Chelsea.
Real Madrid might not be in the best of forms. But what they did in the friendlies will have no saying on this fixture and with the majority of their squad fit, one can expect them to dominate the proceedings.
On the other hand, Atalanta’s form in the pre-season hasn’t been good either. They started with a 2-2 draw against AZ Alkmaar, followed it up with a 4-1 defeat to Parma before suffering another 3-0 oss to FC St. Pauli.
While the pre-season form won’t be that big of a headache, Gian Piero Gasperini might be without a few of his star players which could cause problems for them. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Team News & Tactics
Real Madrid
Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid have undergone a few changes from last season. Former skipper Nacho Fernandez has parted ways with the club, while Toni Kroos has retired from the game. Kylian Mbappe’s long-awaited arrival has finally happened and teenage sensation Endrick has also joined the team in white.
Los Blancos will be without the services of David Alaba for this fixture as he is yet to recover from his ACL injury which he picked up last season. Apart from him, everyone else is in contention to start this fixture.
The Spanish giants are expected to make a major tactical change this season. They will most likely revert to a 4-3-3 to make the best use of the attacking firepower they have. We could see Ancelotti start his best XI with almost everyone fit and available.
Thibaut Courtois will be in goal for Real Madrid. The back four will consist of Dani Carvajal, Antonio Rudiger, Eder Militao and Ferland Mendy. In the centre of the park, Aurelien Tchouameni could be seen as a defensive midfielder and he will have the support of Federico Valverde and Jude Bellingham. The English international is expected to be seen in a much deeper role in his second season at the club.
In attack, Rodrygo Goes is expected to start on the right-hand side, with Vinicius Junior on the left. Kylian Mbappe should be leading the line on his debut for Real Madrid. Meanwhile, Arda Guler, Endrick, and veteran Luka Modric are expected to have a big say coming off the bench.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Courtois; Carvajal, Militao, Rudiger, Mendy; Valverde, Tchouameni, Bellingham; Rodrygo, Mbappe, Vinicius Junior
Atalanta
Gian Piero Gasperini has parted ways with Hans Hateboer, Pierluigi Gollini, Duvan Zapata, and Aleksei Miranchuk to make room for new signings. They have added a lot of firepower to their team by signing Charles De Ketelaere and Mateo Retegui. La Dea have also added Ben Godfrey, Nicolo Zaniolo, and Ibrahim Sulemana to their squad.
While Teun Koopmeiners is fully fit, he is still not expected to play a part in this fixture as he has already handed his transfer request amidst interest from Liverpool and Juventus. El Bilal Toure has also asked for a way out.
Meanwhile, summer signing Zaniolo is sidelined due to tendonitis, while Rafael Toloi is out with muscle discomfort. The duo joins Giorgio Scalvini and Gianluca Scamacca, who are already nursing serious long-term injuries.
Atalanta will go ahead with the 3-4-2-1 formation, where Juan Musso will be in goal. The back three will be made up of Berat Djimsiti, Isak Hien and Sead Kolasinac.
Davide Zappacosta will be the right-wing back, while Matteo Ruggeri will feature on the left flank. Highly sought-after Ederson will pair up with Mario Pasalic in the centre of the park. Former AC Milan star Charles De Ketelaere will partner with Ademola Lookman. The duo will feature just behind Mateo Retegui, who will lead the line for Atalanta against Real Madrid.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Musso; Djimsiti, Hien, Kolasinac; Zappacosta, Pasalic, Ederson, Ruggeri; Lookman, De Ketelaere; Retegui
Key Stats
- Real Madrid and Atalanta have only faced each other twice wth both meetings coming in the group stage of the 2020/21 UEFA Champions League. The Spanish club won both fixtures.
- Real Madrid have won five out of their last six Super Cups, scoring at least two goals in each of their outings.
- Atalanta are all set to be the 41st club to feature in the UEFA Super Cup and the seventh from Italy.
- The previous season’s Europa League winners have only won two out of their last six outings against Spanish clubs.
- Real Madrid ended the 2023/24 season on a 26-match unbeaten run, and they will look to start the new campaign with a win.
Player to Watch
Kylian Mbappe
Mbappe finally got his dream move to Real Madrid, and he is all set to make his debut for the team in white. After not having the best of times at UEFA Euro 2024, the French international will be eager to set things rolling with his new club. Expect him to have a massive say on the end result of this fixture.
Prediction
Real Madrid 3-1 Atalanta
Both Real Madrid and Atalanta have not been that good in the friendlies, and one might expect a close encounter between the two teams. But, that is unlikely to happen given the quality of players Los Blancos have on offer. They are expected to click from the start, and the Italian outfit might struggle to cope with them. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 win for Carlo Ancelotti and his charges.
