Appointment with history. This evening theAtalanta he will be hunting for his second international trophy against the great Real Madrid, in a challenge that goes beyond the "simple" European Super Cup. For the Goddess, in fact, it is the highest point of his 117 years of life, while Italian football, despite the awareness that a real feat will be needed, hopes that Davide will beat Goliath again. Warsaw, theater of the 48th edition of the tournament which pits the winners of the Champions League and Europa League against each other, is preparing for a fascinating challenge, even if unbalanced on paper.
Real Madrid – Atalanta (21pm, Sky and Now TV)
Don't want it Gian Piero Gasperini, but there aren't many premises for another undertaking after the one in Dublin. Injuries, transfer cases and summer friendlies have shown the fragile face of the Goddess, who has reached the prestigious appointment with many doubts and few certainties. Everything has turned (badly) in the last 15 days, first with the KO by Scamacca (immediately capped with the purchase of Retegui), Zaniolo and Toloi (to which we must add that of Scalvini), then with the explosion of Koopmeiners affair, now separated at home for all intents and purposes. The Dutchman, promised to Giuntoli and Thiago Motta's Juventus, pulled out with a medical certificate and Gasperini, albeit through gritted teeth, publicly pilloried him. All this is not doing the team any good, as seen from the three friendlies with AZ Alkmaar (2-2), Parma (1-4) and St. Pauli (0-3): the group, despite the disastrous results, appeared weighed down both in the legs and in the head.
So, how to beat (or at least try) the great Real Madrid? Los Blancos, just so as not to lose good habits, have just treat yourself to the Mbappé phenomenon and the young Endrick, moreover they have an absolutely special feeling with the Super Cup finals (and not only), as demonstrated by the five victories in the eight played (but they lost two between 1998 and 2000). In short, Ancelotti's team is the worst possible team to face when a cup is up for grabs, but on the other hand it represents an unparalleled stimulus. In short, if Atalanta wants to rediscover the spirit of Dublin, there is no better opportunity...
Gasperini: “No difficulties, just great enthusiasm! Koopmeiners? It is a victim of the market..."
“We don't have any difficulties, we come here to play one match of incredible prestige with his usual enthusiasm and desire to amaze – he glided Gasperini -. It will be one very difficult race, but we will put all our game and pride into play to put on a great performance. It's clear that on paper the prediction is more closed than against Leverkusen, if we want Real Madrid is an even bigger obstacle, but so is the motivation. In football it doesn't always happen, but every now and then predictions can be subverted. Many absences? In football these things happen, you would like to play the best match possible but then it happens that you have defections. What I asked the boys is to have a good race, without having problems behind who is or isn't there. Koopmeiners? He is the victim of this situation, he was deprived of the opportunity to play in a final like this. I'm sorry I didn't convince him to stay out of certain market disputes, unfortunately he did strongly conditioned, but he remains a healthy boy and we are close to him because he helped us get this far."
Ancelotti: “Be careful, Atalanta are strong! Mbappe? You don't need Einstein to insert it..."
“We're fine, though we didn't train much - the Ancelotti's thoughts -. The players have all arrived well from the holidays, we can play an intense match against a strong team because if they are here it means they did very well last year and will try to repeat themselves. It's always difficult to make the lineup because you leave out someone who deserves to play, Atalanta have a few fewer doubts, but it's always complicated. The key to this season will definitely bedefensive balance, the quality up front must be sacrificed to recover the ball, that's what we will do, what we have to do and I'm sure we will be able to do. It's difficult to say how we will play in attack, it depends a lot on the quality of the players in attack. Mbappe? To bring in good players Einstein is not needed, the problem is if there aren't any good ones, they fit in, they always adapt."
Real Madrid – Atalanta, the probable lineups
Real Madrid (4-3-3): Courtois; Carvajal, Militao, Rudiger, Mendy; Valverde, Camavinga, Bellingham; Rodrygo, Mbappé, Vinicius.
On the bench: Lunin, Lucas Vasquez, Fran Garcia, Martin, Ceballos, Guler, Diaz, Tchouameni, Modric, Paz, Endrick, Vallejo.
Coach: Carlo Ancelotti
Unavailable: nobody
Disqualified: nobody
Atalanta (3-4-2-1): Musso; Djimsiti, Hien, Kolasinac; Zappacosta, Ederson, De Roon, Ruggeri; De Ketelaere, Lookman; Retegui
On the bench: Carnesecchi, Rossi, Bonfanti, Bakker, Godfrey, Sulemana, Comi, Tornaghi, Palestra, Mendicino, Pasalic, Manzoni, Cassa, Vavassori
Coach: Gian Piero Gasperini
Unavailable: Scalvini, Scamacca, Toloi, Zaniolo, Koopmeiners, El Bilal Touré
Disqualified: nobody
