Atalanta failed to upset the odds at PGE Narodowy in Warsaw as Real Madrid steamrolled to a 2-0 win to lift the UEFA Super Cup trophy. Devastated by several high-profile absences, La Dea couldn’t cope with Carlo Ancelotti’s star-studded line-up in their first-ever appearance in this fixture.
Despite facing long odds, Atalanta fared reasonably well in the opening 45 minutes, preventing Real Madrid from launching a single shot on target on Kylian Mbappe’s debut for Los Blancos. Gian Piero Gasperini’s side nearly grabbed an unlikely halftime lead, only to see a deflection off Marten de Roon’s attempted cross rattle the crossbar.
Mario Pasalic thought he had put Atalanta in front only two minutes into the second half. However, Thibaut Courtois pulled off a stunning diving save to thwart the Croatia international’s free header from only a few yards out. After missing two glorious opportunities to take the lead, Atalanta fell apart midway through the second half.
Vinicius Junior was too hot to handle for Davide Zappacosta, dancing past the Italian veteran before serving Federico Valverde on a silver platter. The Uruguayan midfielder tapped the ball into an empty net from the doorstep to break the deadlock in the 59th minute.
The Brazilian winger nearly doubled Real Madrid’s advantage only a few minutes later. But Juan Musso came up huge in a one-on-one, denying the quicksilver forward with a superb reflex save. Although the Argentine threw Atalanta a lifeline, they couldn’t reap the benefits.
Nine minutes after Vinicius’ opener, Mbappe marked his Real Madrid debut with a goal, hammering the ball into the roof of the net with a scintillating strike from inside the box to kill the game off.
Let’s look at our Atalanta ratings.
Atalanta (3-5-2)
Juan Musso – 7
Despite conceding twice, there was not much he could’ve done in both situations. However, he made several noticeable stops, showing Gasperini he could still count on him.
Sead Kolasinac – 6.5
After a phenomenal first-half performance against Rodrygo, the Bosnian veteran ran out of steam in the second half, resulting in a significant downfall.
Isak Hien – 6.5
It’s unfathomable how he escaped a booking in the opening 15 minutes following numerous reckless challenges in the middle of the pitch. But he grew into the contest as the game progressed.
Berat Djimsiti – 6
Even much younger defenders cannot deal with Vinicius’ pace. Despite his best effort to help Zappacosta on the right, he spent most of the night chasing shadows.
Davide Zappacosta – 6
The attacking-minded full-back was up to the task in the first half, making Vinicius an idle threat. As fatigue kicked in at the start of the second half, Gasperini had to pull him off, which he did.
Marten de Roon – 6.5
There’s not much Gasperini can complain about the Atalanta captain’s showing. He went above and beyond to provide an additional layer of cover at the back.
Ederson – 5.5
Perhaps an early yellow card took the wind out of his sales, preventing him from being aggressive for the rest of the match.
Matteo Ruggeri – 5.5
It was an atypically quiet night for the offensive-minded left-back, though he held up his end of the bargain against Rodrygo and Dani Carvajal in defense
Mario Pasalic – 6.5
He almost started celebrating an opening goal before seeing Courtois fly through the air to fingertip his well-driven header into a corner kick. Other than that, he barely influenced proceedings.
Charles De Ketelaere – 5.5
The Belgian star showed glimpses of his potential in the opening stages, but he lost momentum after the break.
Ademola Lookman – 5
Atalanta fans must have expected more from last season’s Europa League hero, yet the Nigerian couldn’t gain a foothold in tonight’s encounter.
Substitutes
Mateo Retegui – 6
Ben Godfrey – 6.5
Mitchell Bakker – 5.5
Marco Palestra – N/A
Alberto Manzoni – N/A
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Nice one los blancos