The UEFA Super Cup final is set for Wednesday night, as Real Madrid, the reigning UEFA Champions League winners, prepare to face Atalanta, who secured the UEFA Europa League title.
The match will take place at the National Stadium in Warsaw, Poland, marking the first European club trophy clash of the new season.
Real Madrid clinched the Champions League trophy in June with a victory over Borussia Dortmund, thanks to goals from Dani Carvajal and Vinicius Junior.
In contrast, Atalanta, representing Serie A, stunned Bayer Leverkusen with a hat-trick performance from Ademola Lookman to win the Europa League in Dublin.
Both teams come into this encounter with notable changes from the previous season.
Real Madrid has seen the departure of key figures Toni Kroos, who retired from football post-Euro 2024, and Nacho Fernandez, who moved to the Saudi Pro League.
Additionally, veteran defender, David Alaba, is sidelined due to an ACL injury.
Despite these setbacks, Carlo Ancelotti’s squad has been reinforced with high-profile signings including Kylian Mbappe and Endrick, as they aim for a record sixth UEFA Super Cup title.
Atalanta, on the other hand, is making their first appearance in the UEFA Super Cup.
Under Gian Piero Gasperini, they finished fourth in Serie A last season.
The club has also been hit by injuries, notably with striker Gianluca Scamacca out for at least six months due to an ACL tear.
This places added responsibility on Lookman. However, Atalanta has bolstered their squad with new attackers such as Charles De Ketelaere, Mateo Retegui, and Nicolo Zaniolo.
Heading into the match, Real Madrid has struggled recently, with losses to AC Milan, Barcelona, and Chelsea.
Meanwhile, Atalanta has faced its own difficulties, losing three of their last four matches to AZ Alkmaar, Fiorentina, Parma, and FC St. Pauli.
The Super Cup clash kicks off at 8 pm BST on Wednesday, 14 August 2024.
Fans can catch the action on TNT Sports 1 and TNT Sports Ultimate, with coverage beginning at 7 pm.
Subscribers can also stream the game live via the Discovery+ app, and Standard Sport will provide a live match blog for ongoing updates.
Real Madrid will feature new signings like Mbappe, who is expected to make his debut, alongside Jude Bellingham. David Alaba remains the only notable absentee.
Atalanta might showcase their new recruits, including Ben Godfrey and Ibrahim Sulemana, although Teun Koopmeiners will not participate as he seeks a transfer.
Predicting the outcome, Real Madrid’s strong record in European finals gives them an edge, with a forecasted win of 2-1.
The winners of the UEFA Super Cup will receive approximately £3.8 million, while the runners-up will earn around £3 million.
In their head-to-head history, Real Madrid has won both previous encounters with Atalanta, who have yet to secure a victory against the Spanish giants.
Latest odds place Real Madrid as the favourites to win the trophy at 1/2, with Atalanta’s chances at 9/2.
