Real Madrid continued in their trophy-winning ways under Carlo Ancelotti as they lifted the UEFA Super Cup in Warsaw last night, defeating Atalanta 2-0.
Second-half goals from Federico Valverde and new signing Kylian Mbappe did the trick for the Merengues while Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Jr. put in superlative displays on the night as well.
Rodrygo praises Mbappe
The focus had been on Mbappe going into the game, considering that his signing had been a dream for Real Madrid for years now. And the Frenchman did not disappoint, despite making a rather slow start.
And, speaking after the match, star forward Rodrygo went on to praise the new addition, hailing him as the best in the world when asked about his experience of sharing the pitch with the French superstar.
“It’s the same as I did with Vini and Jude. Now another one has arrived, one of the best in the world. The coach asks us to change positions a lot and not to stand still,” said Rodrygo.
On the title, the Brazilian forward added: “I am very happy. It was what we wanted, to start the season like this, with a title, like we finished the other one. It gives us a lot of confidence for the rest of the season, which is going to be very long.”
Like Carlo Ancelotti, Rodrygo admitted that the first-half performance was not up to the mark, saying: “We have trained little, but we were ready to deliver as quickly as possible. We are improving and we are going to do much better for the rest of the season.
“In the first half, the pitch was a bit dry. In the second half, when it was wet, it was a different game. We’ll keep training to improve, because it’s a pleasure to be at this club.”
Courtois happy with clean sheet
Meanwhile, Thibaut Courtois also praised the Real Madrid frontline for how they turned things around after the first half, saying:
“With the quality that Vini, Jude, Kylian and Rodrygo have, you know that when the opponent is more tired, they will change the game.”
Prior to that, the Belgian international had made a vital contribution by saving a goal-bound effort at 0-0. Discussing that moment, he remarked:
“We knew their crosses were dangerous. I’m happy I was able to make that save. I had to go a long way out and use my two metres to get it out, but I’m glad I made it at 0-0, because if not maybe it would have changed the game.
“Then we did a better job offensively, we were more dynamic.”
On racking up a sixth clean sheet in a row since returning from injury, Courtois said: “It’s very nice to keep a clean sheet in finals. I’ve kept six clean sheets since I’ve been back, so I hope to keep that streak going a bit longer. We will work hard for that.”
Valverde hails Vinicius-Bellingham connection
One of the biggest takeaways of the night was the connection that the attacking unit seemed to have, with Vinicius and Bellingham at the centre of it while Mbappe and Rodrygo also had their moments.
And, Real Madrid’s new No. 8, Fede Valverde, hopes to see the partnership between Vinicius and Bellingham thrive, as he said: “I hope we can continue to enjoy Vinicius and Bellingham in games like today. We’ll be at the back and run for them.”
The midfielder, who himself was on the scoresheet dedicated his goal to his idol Toni Kroos, saying: “It is a tremendous source of pride and motivation to inherit the number of a person I admire very much.
“Today I dedicate the goal to Kroos and my wife, who is always there supporting me. Now it’s time to enjoy it with the fans and my teammates.”
Source: Real Madrid official website