The 2024/2025 European season will be ushered in in Warsaw with the UEFA Super Cup clash between 15-time Champions League winners Real Madrid and first-time Europa League champions Atalanta. 

Real Madrid hopes to add to their five Super Cups and become the most successful team in this competition, ahead of AC Milan and Barcelona. They have experience playing in this competition, expectedly, with nine previous appearances, winning five and losing three.

They defeated Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League final last season to get here, and they also have good form to bank on, having not lost a competitive fixture since their loss to Atletico Madrid in September.

The Los Blancos have even gone ahead and boosted their squad with French forward Kylian Mbappé, who joined as a free agent from PSG.

“Mbappe has arrived well. We haven’t had time, but we are doing very well, and he has arrived in good shape. Everyone who is here can play tomorrow. We are looking forward to it. It will be very demanding from the start. We are doing well. There is a lot of responsibility in winning [this title]. We have the best players.” Ancelotti said.

Meanwhile, Real Madrid’s opponents Atalanta only ended their 61-year drought by winning the 2023/24 Europa League trophy by beating Bayer Leverkusen 3-0 in a remarkable final.

Nigerian striker Ademola Lookman was influential in getting the result and winning only the second trophy in the club’s history with a hat-trick.

Irrespective of the result in Warsaw, Poland, where the game will be played, the Italians are assured of a place in the UEFA Champions League in the 2024/2025 season.

Meanwhile, Real Madrid’s opening La Liga fixture is on Sunday, 18 August, against Mallorca away from home as they kickstart a defense to their La Liga title from last season, while Atalanta travels to Lecce on Monday night for their Serie A opener.