New Delhi, Aug 13 (IANS): Real Madrid, a club that has carved its image as serial winners, will take on Atalanta in the UEFA Super Cup on Thursday (IST) at the National Stadium in Warsaw, Poland with the hopes of pulling clear of AC Milan and rivals FC Barcelona as the record winners of the competition. All three clubs currently have five titles each.
The UEFA Super Cup is an annual fixture contested by the reigning champions of the Champions League and the Europa League, devised by Dutch reporter Anton Witkamp to decide definitively the top club side in Europe.
The European Cup/Champions League holders have always been involved, facing the holders of either the European/UEFA Cup Winners' Cup (1973–99) or the UEFA Cup/Europa League (2000- present)
One of the main points of focus in the game will revolve around the much anticipated debut of Kylian Mbappe who joined Real Madrid as a free agent after a transfer saga that lasted for many years. Alongside Mbappe, Dani Carvajal and Luka Modric will be playing in their sixth Super Cup encounter, the most in the history of the competition.
A Real Madrid win will also be Ancelotti’s fifth win as head coach, the most by a manager in the history of the competition.
Atalanta, on the other hand, are the clear underdogs heading into the game, a title to which they have grown accustomed. The Italian side defeated Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen in the final of the 2024 Europa League in a one sided encounter that ended 3-0. However, despite what the scoreline suggests, not many gave Atalanta a chance in that matchup given that Leverkusen were on an invincible streak that saw them win the Bundesliga and the DFB Pokal.
"It's going to be fantastic. It's something we earned by winning that trophy and playing a brilliant game against Leverkusen. This is the icing on the cake against probably the best club in the world. They have been at the top for years, so being able to play against a team like that is very special. We have a lot of respect for Real Madrid," said Atalanta captain Marten de Roon to UEFA.