Real Madrid are the best club in the world currently which they have been for years as they reached the top of the mountain in European football.
Getting to the top and staying there are two different levels of achievement, and they have done the latter thanks to their very clear transfer strategy in recent years. They make their recruitment decisions well ahead of time as they identify targets to improve their star-studded team, and are willing to wait until the right player becomes available.
Even if their top targets are unavailable or choose to join other clubs, Madrid do not settle for less in terms of quality. It is a strategy that has served them well as they have won six UEFA Champions League titles in the last ten years by virtue of having a succession plan for their megastars with the acquisition of the likes of Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo Goes, Federico Valverde, Aurelien Tchouameni, Eduardo Camavinga, David Alaba, Arda Guler, Toni Rudiger and Jude Bellingham.
The latest in that line of world-class names is Kylian Mbappe who made it a Real Madrid debut to remember after scoring against Atalanta in the UEFA Super Cup to win his first honour with the club.
It is hence one game, one win, one goal and one trophy for the superstar who joined as a free agent this summer following a glittering seven-year spell at Paris Saint-Germain.
Mbappe earned a dream first start for his new club as he was deployed as the focal point of an attack-minded Real Madrid starting XI flanked by Vinicius and Rodrygo with Bellingham slightly deeper in midfield.
In the quest for Madrid’s fourth trophy of the calendar year, Mbappe was barely involved during the first half as Real struggled to find their rhythm against Gian Piero Gasperini’s well-drilled side. Meanwhile, they had to contend with Thibaut Courtois who kept Real in the game with a number of important saves.
Being the inevitable outfit that they are, Real broke the deadlock just before the hour mark as Vinicius danced around his marker on the by-line to brilliantly set up Federico Valverde for a tap-in into an empty net.
The man everyone came to see then delivered the goods nine minutes later as Mbappe smashed a pass from Bellingham into the top corner for the second of the night.
It was a case of mission accomplished for Los Blancos despite many of their stars recently returning to training after reaching the latter stages of Copa America and EURO 2024, there were no signs of rustiness in this energetic performance.
Merengues supremacy
Having finally realised a childhood dream by signing for Real Madrid, it is evident that Kylian Mbappe was born to be a Galactico. Regardless of some teething issues around his positioning as the central striker, the 25-year-old combined effortlessly with Vinicius, Rodrygo and reigning La Liga Player of the Year, Bellingham, and they will only get better.
Notably, Mbappe became the first Madrid player to score on his debut since Bellingham in August 2023, as Los Blancos also became the first club to win the Super Cup six times. Carlo Ancelotti is now the first coach to win the trophy five times, and no man has won the Champions League more times as a player and manager.
Spare a thought for their Super Cup opponents who lifted their first European title in last season’s Europa League, and despite missing several key players, had the Champions League winners on the ropes until the class and pace of their forward line made the difference.
Indeed, this was Mbappe’s day and there could be no spoiling his debut game in this team.
“We’re at Real Madrid, we have no limit, I have no limit,” Mbappe declared post-match when asked whether he could net 50 goals this season.
‘If I can score 50 goals, it’s 50. But the most important thing is to win and improve as a team, because we’re going to win as a team.’
Pertinently, the centre-forward role requires holding up play and engaging in physical battles with defenders but this is not the most effective use of Mbappe’s skills as he likes to operate from the wings where he can use his pace and dribbling ability to destabilise defences.
This should not be a big issue for a team that possesses the exceptional fluidity of a front three such as Madrid’s, and winning their first piece of silverware of the season is the perfect tonic to their progress.
Luka Modric is now the man with the most titles won for Los Blancos (27) and they will have little problem getting fired up for this season’s targets. Real Madrid kick-off their 2024/25 La Liga campaign away at Mallorca on Sunday 18 August, and they must see off Barcelona and Atletico Madrid on the way to a record-extending 37th league title.
Ancelotti will be focused on finding the best formula for this supremely talented team and given that the likes of Eduardo Camavinga and David Alaba will return from injury, and Endrick and Arda Guler are waiting in the wings; there is a lot more to come from this Madrid side.
Considering they have dispatched off Atalanta with many of their stars having trained together for just five days, the rest of Spain and Europe are already quaking in their boots.
