WARSAW (AFP) – Kylian Mbappe scored on his long-awaited Real Madrid debut in the UEFA Super Cup against Atalanta on Wednesday, putting Carlo Ancelotti’s side 2-0 up.
The 25-year-old French superstar finally joined Los Blancos this summer at the end of his Paris Saint-Germain contract after the Spanish champions spent years trying to sign him.
After a quiet first half Mbappe finished with aplomb when he was set up by Jude Bellingham in the 68th minute.
Fede Valverde had fired Champions League holders Madrid ahead against the Italian Europa League winners in Warsaw as the Spanish giants bid to win the Super Cup for a record sixth time.
Mbappe started Madrid’s first competitive match of the season in the centre of the attack, with Vinicius Junior on the left and Rodrygo Goes to his right, with England international Bellingham offering support from a midfield role.
The French forward had a shot blocked by Isak Hien in the first half as he struggled to get heavily involved but made no mistake when Bellingham teed him up.
Madrid announced Mbappe’s arrival in June but he played no part in the club’s pre-season tour of the United States.
The forward helped France reach the Euro 2024 semi-finals, although he struggled after suffering a broken nose in the opening game and then netting just once, from the penalty spot, in Germany.
Mbappe was presented before over 80,000 fans at the Santiago Bernabeu in the Spanish capital on July 16 before being allowed time off, from which he returned to begin training a week ago.
