Kylian Mbappé scores on debut for Real Madrid in a 2-0 win over Atalanta in UEFA Super Cup

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Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe touches the trophy during the medal ceremony for the UEFA Super Cup Final soccer match between Real Madrid and Atalanta at the Narodowy stadium in Warsaw, Poland, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)

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Real Madrid’s Eder Militao, Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, and Luka Modric pose with the trophy after winning the UEFA Super Cup Final soccer match between Real Madrid and Atalanta at the Narodowy stadium in Warsaw, Poland, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024. Real Madrid won 2-0. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

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Real Madrid’s Luka Modric lifts the trophy after winning the UEFA Super Cup Final soccer match between Real Madrid and Atalanta at the Narodowy stadium in Warsaw, Poland, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024. Real Madrid won 2-0. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

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Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe celebrates after scoring his side’s second goal during the UEFA Super Cup Final soccer match between Real Madrid and Atalanta at the Narodowy stadium in Warsaw, Poland, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

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Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe, second from right, celebrates after scoring his side’s second goal during the UEFA Super Cup Final soccer match between Real Madrid and Atalanta at the Narodowy stadium in Warsaw, Poland, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)

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Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe, centre, celebrates with teammates after scoring his side’s second goal during the UEFA Super Cup Final soccer match between Real Madrid and Atalanta at the Narodowy stadium in Warsaw, Poland, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)

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Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe, 2nd left, scores his side’s second goal during the UEFA Super Cup Final soccer match between Real Madrid and Atalanta at the Narodowy stadium in Warsaw, Poland, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

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Real Madrid’s Federico Valverde, centre, celebrates with Kylian Mbappe after scoring the opening goal during the UEFA Super Cup Final soccer match between Real Madrid and Atalanta at the Narodowy stadium in Warsaw, Poland, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)

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Real Madrid’s team members celebrate with the trophy as they won the UEFA Super Cup Final soccer match between Real Madrid and Atalanta at the Narodowy stadium in Warsaw, Poland, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)

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Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe, right, celebrates after scoring his side’s second goal during the UEFA Super Cup Final soccer match between Real Madrid and Atalanta at the Narodowy stadium in Warsaw, Poland, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)

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Real Madrid’s fan holds a portrait of Kylian Mbappe before the UEFA Super Cup Final soccer match between Real Madrid and Atalanta at the Narodowy stadium in Warsaw, Poland, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)

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Real Madrid’s fans cheer before the UEFA Super Cup Final soccer match between Real Madrid and Atalanta at the Narodowy stadium in Warsaw, Poland, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)

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Real Madrid’s head coach Carlo Ancelotti, center, speaks with his player Arda Guler at the end of the UEFA Super Cup Final soccer match between Real Madrid and Atalanta at the Narodowy stadium in Warsaw, Poland, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024. Real Madrid won 2-0. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

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By VANESSA GERA

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — A goal and a trophy. How about that for a debut by Kylian Mbappé for Real Madrid?

The France captain pulled on the famous white jersey of the Spanish champions for the first time in a competitive match and marked the occasion with the second goal in a 2-0 win over Atalanta in the UEFA Super Cup on Wednesday.

Mbappé, who started and played 82 minutes at the National Stadium in Warsaw, met a pass from Jude Bellingham across the area with a shot into the top corner in the 68th minute.

“He is inevitable,” Bellingham said of Mbappé.

“It’s a big step for him – people have been talking about him coming here for a long time — and it feels like he’s been here for a while.”

After putting both arms across his chest for his trademark celebration, Mbappé was congratulated by Vinícius Júnior and Rodrygo, the other members of Madrid’s star-studded strike force that might be sending tremors around European soccer heading into the new season.

Federico Valverde tapped home a cross from Vinícius in the 59th to set Madrid on its way to a record sixth victory in the Super Cup, the annual match between the Champions League winners (Madrid) and the Europa League champions (Atalanta).

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Madrid is used to holding records — no team has more European Cup titles than its 15 — and owning the world’s best players.

Mbappé certainly belongs in that category and it was a strong start to life at the world’s top soccer club, one he dreamt of playing for as a kid before fulfilling that reality by moving from Paris Saint-Germain after a drawn-out saga.

Now he is Madrid’s No. 9 and started the Super Cup as the team’s central striker — to limited success, aside from a couple of spins and tricks that wowed the crowd in the first half — before moving out wide for the second half to greater effect.

“We have a new-look team and it seemed to just click tonight,” Bellingham said. “Sometimes it takes a bit of time – the first half we were still adjusting — and the second half it all came together and we were brilliant.”

Vinícius and Bellingham, stars of Madrid’s run to the Champions League and La Liga titles last season, were the game’s standout players, however, as Carlo Ancelotti’s team eventually overpowered Atalanta after an even first half that saw both sides hit the crossbar.

Madrid defender Eder Militao deflected a cross onto his own bar before Rodrygo fired in a shot just before halftime that struck the top of the bar.

“At one point, the game was within our reach,” Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini said.

Atalanta almost took the lead early in the second half when Mario Pašalić had a header tipped aside by goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois but Madrid was dominant thereafter, with Vinícius operating more down the middle.

It might take a while for Ancelotti to find the ideal formula up front — Brazil striker Endrick, a summer signing like Mbappé, didn’t even come off the bench for the match — but it’s an enviable dilemma for the Italian coach.

“The most difficult thing, what we are looking for, is finding balance in the team with the quality we have up front,” Ancelotti said. “If we are able to do this, we can have a very good season. We have a fantastic squad, to be honest.”

Luka Modric, the 38-year-old Croatia great who was one of five second-half substitutes for Madrid, lifted the trophy high to a backdrop of gold confetti as Mbappé danced and led the celebrations beside him — before getting his hands on the hardware himself.

“I thought he (Mbappé) was amazing before and now you get a chance to play with him, you see the details up closer — the speed, the quality, the work without the ball, the way he is as a leader, the way he communicates,” Bellingham said. “I can’t speak highly enough of him really.”

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer