UEFA Super Cup: Real Madrid vs Atalanta live
Preview: Real Madrid vs Atalanta
Real Madrid is set to face Atalanta in Warsaw at the PGE Narodowy on Wednesday at 7:00GMT for the UEFA Super Cup. Real Madrid secured their 15th Champions League title last season, while Atalanta surprised many by defeating Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League final.
With five Super Cups already in their collection, Real Madrid has the opportunity to become the most successful team in this competition, surpassing AC Milan and Barcelona, if they win this match. Many might find it difficult to envision anything other than another victory for Real Madrid in their ninth Super Cup appearance (with a record of 5 wins and 3 losses), especially given their impressive form last season.
Their campaign culminated in a win against Dortmund in the Champions League final at Wembley, and they have not lost a competitive match since being eliminated from the Copa Del Rey by Atlético in January (with a record of 18 wins and 8 draws), having last lost in regular time to the same team back in September. Real Madrid had a mixed pre-season, securing victories against Chelsea and Albacete while suffering losses to AC Milan and Barcelona, but they are now focused on their pursuit of a historic sixth UEFA Super Cup title.
Atalanta, a club with only two major trophies, is aiming to defy expectations by challenging Real Madrid on Wednesday. Their victory in the 2023/24 Europa League, which ended a 61-year title drought, was truly impressive as they defeated Bayer Leverkusen, who had gone 51 games unbeaten, with a decisive 3-0 score. This win secured Atalanta’s spot in the UEFA Super Cup, making them the 41st team to participate and marking the fourth consecutive season with a debutant team.
However, history is not on their side, as two of the last three debutants, Villarreal and Frankfurt, ended up losing. Despite a disappointing pre-season, including a 2-2 draw with AZ Alkmaar followed by heavy defeats to Parma (4-1) and FC St. Pauli (3-0), Atalanta has shown they can rise to the occasion when a European title is at stake, as demonstrated in Dublin against Bayer Leverkusen a few months ago.
Head-to-head
Real Madrid has a perfect record against Atalanta, having won both of their encounters. Their latest match concluded with a 3-1 victory for Real Madrid during their Champions League clash in March 2021.
Prediction
Both Real Madrid and Atalanta have not been particularly impressive during pre-season, partly due to the interruptions caused by the Euros, Copa America, and the Olympics. Nevertheless, Gasperini’s team is still held in high regard by their more prestigious opponents. However, the remarkable attacking options available to Ancelotti are hard to overlook, leading us to believe that the Champions League winners will likely succeed in Warsaw.
