Kylian Mbappe's 'unbelievable' Real Madrid debut proved Vinicius Jr & Jude Bellingham won't be subdued by new 'Galactico'

As expected, Mbappe started through the middle against Atalanta, with the left-wing slot he made his own at PSG occupied by Vinicius while Rodrygo was deployed on the opposite flank. Meanwhile, England sensation Bellingham, who either led the line or played as a No.10 for the majority of his first season at Real, filled in on the left of a midfield three alongside Aurelien Tchouameni and Valverde.

Bellingham struggled to get involved in that deeper role as Atalanta frustrated Madrid in the first half. Mbappe also barely had a meaningful touch, while Vinicius and Rodrygo found it hard to find space against the Serie A side's disciplined five-man defence.

Ancelotti, though, made a subtle tweak at the break that changed the course of the game. Mbappe and Vinicius essentially swapped places and Bellingham pushed further forward, prompting an instant increase in intensity upfront that led to Valverde breaking the deadlock.

Just before the hour mark, Bellingham picked the ball up 40 yards from goal and drove towards the box before laying it off for Vinicius, who then glided past his marker and set Valverde up for the easiest goal he will ever score. The tension in the air remained for the next 10 minutes, but Rodrygo's dogged determination to win back possession lifted the white half of the crowd, and he also had the composure to pick out an intelligent run from Vinicius.

The Brazilian's subsequent pass across goal was overhit, but Bellingham kept it alive and eventually fed Mbappe to rifle the ball into the top corner with a perfectly controlled first-time shot. Atalanta simply could not cope with Real's new prized triumvirate when the game opened up and, in the end, Gian Piero Gasperini's men were fortunate the margin of defeat was not far greater.

Bellingham went home with the Player-of-the-Match award, and he was a worthy winner, but Vinicius was the real star of the show in Poland. He posted the joint-highest number of passes in the final third (20), including his assist for Valverde, attempted the most dribbles (11), and no other player on the pitch was involved in more duels (20).

Vinicius was the ultimate difference-maker for Madrid as they clinched the double in 2023-24 with 35 goal involvements across all competitions. It has been suggested the 24-year-old's influence will wane due to Mbappe's presence, but there was no sign of that on Wednesday.

The title of Madrid's most important player still belongs to Vinicius, and Mbappe will have to get used to sharing the spotlight with the Flamengo academy graduate. Their first outing together was successful, but there weren't many occasions when they directly linked up, which suggests that building a proper partnership will take time.

Huge egos sharing a dressing room can be problematic; it certainly was for PSG when Mbappe lined up next to Lionel Messi and Neymar. Ancelotti is unrivalled when it comes to handling elite players, though, and has already insisted that Mbappe's arrival has not damaged the harmony in the squad.

"There are no princes or kings; there are just players with different qualities, players who've used their qualities for the good of the team," the Madrid boss said before the game. If it stays that way, Los Blancos could sweep aside all-comers this season and set a course for a new era of unprecedented dominance.

When quizzed on Vinicius and Bellingham's contribution against Atalanta, Mbappe replied to Movistar: "They're two great players. But here we have the best in every position. I'm happy to play with the entire squad we have; we'll improve for sure, me first of all, but today is a positive step."

At just 21 years of age, Bellingham is certainly on his way to becoming a great player, but it may be premature to put him in that bracket already. He has so far managed to justify his €103 million (£88m/$113m) price tag since joining Real from Borussia Dortmund, but couldn't keep up the same high standards for England at Euro 2024 and the technical side of his game still needs polishing.

The challenge for Bellingham now is to keep progressing at Madrid despite inevitably taking a backseat to Mbappe. The talented young midfielder will be required to do more work defensively and pick his moments to spark into life at the other end of the pitch, as he did impressively in the second half against Atalanta.

Bellingham has also acknowledged the importance of speed of thought and execution to provide Mbappe and Vinicius with the service they need to thrive. "It's brilliant playing with him and [Vinicius Jr], but it's difficult sometimes," he said after the final whistle. "You've only got two seconds because they are both gone."

If anyone can get on their wavelength, though, it's Bellingham. His maturity has been just as important in getting him to this point as his ability, and he always looks to learn from the world-class players around him.

It will be the same with Mbappe. “He’s just one of those players isn’t he? He’s brilliant,” Bellingham added on his new colleague. “So sharp, so much technical quality and a great team-mate as well. He doesn’t just rely on the quality he’s got, he works like a dog for the team."

"I think the coach trusts me to get a feel for positions," Bellingham continued when pressed on how he will fit into Real's starting XI this term. "I think when it is necessary I can go higher and when I need to I can help with build-up. Whatever the coach wants from me, I will do."

Madrid have the strongest forward line in world football, and that's without even mentioning teenagers Endrick and Arda Guler waiting in the wings on the bench. Vinicius and Rodrygo have picked up from where they left off last season, Mbappe looks hellbent on making a lasting first impression, and with Bellingham pitching in, the 15-time European champions will take some stopping.

“Those four combining, it’s not fair,” former Manchester United and Bayern Munich midfielder Owen Hargreaves said while covering the Super Cup as a pundit for TNT Sport. “If these guys are going to look out for each other and combine like this… That front four playing together, they’re going to put up ridiculous numbers this season.”

Hargreaves' old United team-mate Rio Ferdinand then quipped: “There are going to be competitions within the team, forget about everyone else. Competitions to get the most assists, get the most goals."

Madrid didn't need Mbappe; they've won the Champions League twice in the last three years and were comfortably the best team in Spain last season. But they are now more complete. Los Blancos only had ex-Stoke City man Joselu to call upon as a natural centre-forward in 2023-24, with Bellingham forced to shoulder the main goal-scoring burden as a result. With Mbappe on board, there is no longer a weak spot in Real's attack.

Signing Mbappe on a free is perhaps the smartest transfer in history, but retaining Vinicius' services will be the most vital piece of business for Madrid this summer. The Brazil star was strongly linked with a move to the Premier League after it was initially reported that Mbappe would join the Spanish giants in February, and more recently, he has become a priority target for Saudi Arabia.

GOAL has confirmed that Al-Ahli are prepared to make Vinicius the highest-paid athlete on the planet, and they have held formal talks with Madrid and the player's representatives. It is unthinkable that a deal will go through before the summer deadline, but money talks, and Vinicius is said to be mulling his options.

The Brazilian's latest performance should serve as a wake-up call for club president Florentino Perez and the rest of the board. Ancelotti has insisted "there is nothing" in the widespread reports, but the Spanish giants should really come out with a more definitive statement.

Atalanta had no answer when Vinicius stepped on the gas. He's electrifying in full flow, an unpredictable force of nature with ice in his veins, and Madrid simply cannot afford to lose him.

It's also no secret that Vinicius has been through hell at Santiago Bernabeu, subjected to persistent racist abuse from rival fans with authorities in Spain not doing nearly enough to deal with the issue. Madrid, therefore, have to make sure that Vinicius feels wanted and protected to fend off Saudi interest. Mbappe will be the shiny new toy for a while, but keeping their most important player happy must also be a priority.

Messi still holds the record for the most goals scored in a single La Liga season (50), and Mbappe is already being tipped to match that feat after his stunning debut. "We're at Real Madrid, we have no limit, I have no limit," Mbappe said to Movistar. "If I can score 50 goals, it's 50. But the most important thing is to win and improve as a team, because we're going to win as a team."

It sounds like Mbappe already understands the Madrid ethos. For much of his time at PSG, it was a one-man show. The Ligue 1 outfit relied almost solely on Mbappe to win them the biggest matches, and reportedly even gave him executive powers behind the scenes, which wasn't good for his development.

In stark contrast, team spirit is the driver for this Real squad; as seen when they defied the odds to overcome both Manchester City and Bayern Munich en route to their latest Champions League triumph. The likes of Vinicius and Bellingham won't be subdued because one more superstar has been added to the ranks.

Ancelotti isn't building his team around Mbappe, he's just another cog in a well-oiled machine. As long as the 25-year-old doesn't forget that, Madrid will be the team to beat at home and aboard for the next 12 months, and beyond.