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UEFA Super Cup: Real Madrid vs Atalanta
Kickoff Time: 2024-08-15 03:00 (HKT)
Source: USA TODAY Sports/Vincent Carchietta
The most significant transfer news in football this summer is undoubtedly Kylian Mbappe joining Real Madrid. Real Madrid firmly believes that the front-line core composed of Vinicius Junior, Mbappe, and Jude Bellingham will become the backbone of the team. It is worth noting that Carlo Ancelotti had already foreseen the potential impact of the European Championship and Copa America on the preparation for the new season by the end of last season, so he meticulously planned a detailed training program. This plan specifically required players participating in international tournaments to return to the training ground two weeks earlier to alleviate the physical strain at the start of the season. This strategy was validated during the recent warm-up match in the United States, where Vinicius shone in the clash against Barcelona. The fitness levels of the players who joined the team later also pleasantly surprised the coaching staff, providing Ancelotti with significant assurance to field the strongest lineup in the UEFA Super Cup.
Last season, Atalanta made a stunning impact in the Europa League, defeating Bayer Leverkusen to win the championship and claiming their first-ever European title. Although Atalanta is relatively low-profile in both domestic leagues and European competitions, their overall strength should not be underestimated. Atalanta’s impressive performance in European competitions has proven that they have the ability to challenge top-tier giants. However, Atalanta may be missing several key players for their match against Real Madrid. Gianluca Scamacca is still recovering from injury, and Nicolo Zaniolo missed the friendly against St. Pauli due to left Achilles tendinitis, with his condition still to be evaluated. Additionally, Teun Koopmeiners and Giorgio Scalvini will also be unavailable for the match against Real Madrid. The absence of several important players undoubtedly weakens Atalanta’s overall strength.
As the Champions League winners, Real Madrid possesses unparalleled European experience and extraordinary strength, which are areas where Atalanta cannot compete. Under Ancelotti’s leadership, Real Madrid has achieved remarkable results in European competitions in recent years. This time, Real Madrid is determined to win the UEFA Super Cup.
Real Madrid’s Last 5 Games: WLLWD
24-08-07 Real Madrid 2-1 Chelsea
24-08-04 Real Madrid 1-2 Barcelona
24-08-01 AC Milan 1-0 Real Madrid
24-06-02 Borussia Dortmund 0-2 Real Madrid
24-05-26 Real Madrid 0-0 Real Betis
Atalanta’s Last 5 Games: LLDLW
24-08-10 St. Pauli 3-0 Atalanta
24-07-05 Parma 4-1 Atalanta
24-07-27 AZ Alkmaar 2-2 Atalanta
24-06-03 Atalanta 2-3 Fiorentina
24-05-27 Atalanta 3-0 Torino
Head To Head Record:
21-03-17 Real Madrid 3-1 Atalanta
21-02-25 Atalanta 0-1 Real Madrid
Prediction: Real Madrid to win