The first piece of European silverware for the 2024/25 season is up for grabs this evening, as Real Madrid and Atalanta square off in Warsaw in the latest edition of the UEFA Super Cup. Los Blancos secured a record-breaking 15th Champions League title last season, while their Italian counterparts unexpectedly overcame German Invincibles Bayern Leverkusen in the Europa League final.
To win (90 min)
Real Madrid 5/10
Draw 3/1
Atalanta 42/10
Real Madrid
The 2022/23 Champions League final played under the Wembley arch between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund was nothing short of spectacular, but a hit and a miss for the German giants as chance after chance went begging. Los Blancos are the ‘Kings’ when it comes to European glory and the Germans would be left to regret those wasted opportunities against Carlo Ancelotti’s Real.
True enough, the 36-time La Liga champions taught Dortmund a harsh lesson in ruthlessness after Dani Carvajal and Brazilian sensation Vinicius Junior found the back of the net in the second half to regain their European Cup trophy, one of three crowns they won in 2023/24 alongside the La Liga and Spanish Super Cup.
Carlo Ancelotti or ‘Don Carlo’ as he is affectionately known in the Spanish capital, has elected to continue as the Real Madrid manager for at least one more season, despite previous rumours of an agreement with the Brazilian national team.
As we edge closer to the start of the 2024/25 season, Los Blancos have not undertaken a major summer overhaul of their squad – which is now without two regulars in Toni Kroos who is regarded as one of the greatest midfielders of his generation and Nacho Fernandez, but French superstar Kylian Mbappe is finally donning the famous all-white strip after years of trying.
The former Paris Saint-Germain forward has been observing Real’s pre-season from the sidelines – Ancelotti’s men overcame Chelsea and Albacete after tasting defeat against AC Milan and arch-rivals Barcelona but could lead Real’s quest for an unprecedented sixth UEFA Super Cup honour.
Atalanta
Real Madrid’s current five UEFA Super Cup titles put them at the top of the charts, but tonight’s battle in Warsaw will represent Atalanta’s baptism in the continental curtain-raiser after their Ademola Lookman-inspired Europa League triumph.
Despite their impressive showing through the group stages, most notably against pre-tournament favourites Liverpool, few gave Gian Piero Gasperini’s men any chance of trumping Xabi Alonso’s Leverkusen, only for an astounding Lookman hat-trick to clinch La Dea’s inaugural European title, and their first trophy of any sort for 61 years.
From missing a panenka penalty against West Ham during his time at Fulham to becoming the first man to score a hat-trick in a Europa League final, Lookman single-handedly destroyed the Leverkusen defence goal-wise, but Gasperini received huge plaudits for how his men pressed the Bundesliga Invincibles off the park.
Europa League glory complemented a fourth-placed Serie A finish and Coppa-Italia runners-up medal for the Italian titans, who also have a meeting with Copa Sudamericana winners LDU Quito to come in the UEFA-CONMEBOL Club Challenge, in addition to participating in next year’s Supercoppa Italiana.
However, pre-season results have been below their high standards – a 2-2 draw with AZ Alkmaar proceeded to heavy losses to newly-promoted Serie A outfit Parma (4-1) and FC St Pauli (3-0), but as Dublin witnessed a few months ago, La Dea can turn the heat up to maximum when a European trophy is on the line.
Prediction: Real Madrid 3-1 Atalanta
Neither Real Madrid nor Atalanta have been setting pitches alight in pre-season, although Euros, Copa America and Olympics disruption is partially to blame, and Gasperini’s troops command plenty of respect from their more revered foes.
However, the astonishing attacking depth in Ancelotti’s ranks is too difficult to ignore, and we can only admire the Champions League winners coming up trumps in Warsaw, potentially with a debut goal for Mbappe.
Written by Marc Strydom