Will French superstar Kylian Mbappe make his Real Madrid debut in Wednesday’s UEFA Super Cup against Atalanta

Welcome to Wednesday! The European club soccer season is just days away and the UEFA Super Cup between Real Madrid and Atalanta BC which should see Kylian Mbappe make his debut will kick things off. Elsewhere, Olivier Giroud made his LAFC debut. This is Jonathan Johnson with your midweek dose of soccer goodness, let’s get to it.

Footy fix

All times U.S./Eastern

Wednesday, August 14
UEFA Super Cup: Atalanta vs. Real Madrid, 3 p.m.  Paramount+
EFL Cup: Leeds United vs. Middlesbrough, 3 p.m.  CBS Sports Golazo Network and Paramount+

Thursday, August 15
La Liga: Athletic Club vs. Getafe, 1 p.m. ESPN+
La Liga: Real Betis vs. Girona, 3:30 p.m. ESPN+

The Forward Line

Kylian Mbappe’s Real debut in UEFA Super Cup

The first UEFA trophy is in play this Wednesday when Real Madrid take on Atalanta BC in the Super Cup in Warsaw with the Spanish giants now 15-time Champions League winners. Carlo Ancelotti’s men have added Kylian Mbappe and Endrick to their ranks for this season and the French superstar is expected to debut in Poland this midweek, having returned to preseason training just last week after Euro 2024 with Les Bleus. Los Blancos are chasing a record sixth Super Cup title and for Mbappe it could be one game played and one piece of European silverware won in the event that Real see off Atalanta. 

Why is Mbappe only debuting now?

This will be Mbappe’s first appearance since joining Real Madrid after years of speculation linking him with a move from Paris Saint-Germain with the France national team captain expected to line up as Los Merengues’ new No. 9 for the very first time. Because of an extended semifinal run at UEFA Euro 2024 with the French, the 25-year-old’s first appearance for Ancelotti’s European and Spanish champions was delayed until now. Mbappe was introduced to the Real fans at Santiago Bernabeu but he was not part of the squad for this summer’s U.S. tour of the U.S. as Real faced Milan, Barcelona and Chelsea. Instead, Mbappe reported for training last week along with fellow French teammates Aurelien Tchouameni, Ferland Mendy and Eduardo Camavinga — the later has since been injured. Real, Mbappe and Ancelotti decided together given that the ex-PSG man was also nursing an injured nose which required recovery time.

Does the UEFA Super Cup count?

Yes, it does. There is a trophy on offer for the winner and it is the Champions League and Europa League winners going up against each other. Although it is not always considered a 100% fully competitive fixture, it will absolutely count as a piece of silverware if Mbappe and Real win it this Wednesday. One appearance and one title won would be a pretty strong start to life with Los Blancos for the France star and such a feat would start to justify Mbappe’s decision to leave Paris for a club renowned for its success in continental competition. There are fewer records for him to immediately target than when he joined PSG as he is not the youngster that he was back then, but an immediate trophy win would be the best possible way to launch what is expected to be a successful stint at Santiago Bernabeu. 

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Midfield Link Play

Olivier Giroud debuts with LAFC in Leagues Cup

Mbappe’s first steps with Real is not the only debut for a french player that has been attracting attention this week. Tuesday saw the start of former France international teammate Olivier Giroud’s Major League Soccer career when he came on as a substitute for new club Los Angeles FC. Almost 38 now, the former Arsenal, Chelsea and Milan man got started in LA by coming on after 71 minutes with Steve Cherundolo’s side 4-1 up on San Jose Earthquakes in the Leagues Cup to advance to the quarterfinals. Giroud might not have scored, but his maiden outing has given MLS its latest star turn.

“I was looking forward to playing here, in front of this incredible crowd,” said the Frenchman after the game. “I received a very warm welcome from everyone at the club. I was welcomed like a member of family. I would have liked to have played a bit more here, I was like a child — I was hungry! Things in Europe are a little different and it is rare to be able to bring children onto the field or into the locker room. Seeing them playing around in the locker room, taking pictures after the head coach has spoken — that is the life that I wanted. I am very happy and you can see that in my smile.”

Next up for LAFC is another all-U.S. affair with Seattle Sounders in the quarterfinals with just two Mexican clubs left this year in Philadelphia Union’s last eight opponents Mazatlan and Colorado Rapids’ next challengers — Club America. Giroud will hope for greater game time against Seattle, possibly with a view to being a legitimate starting option for Cherundolo in the even that the Black and Gold make it to the final four. As for his actual MLS league debut, that could come away at Vancouver Whitecaps later this month with a home MLS debut likely coming against Houston Dynamo FC in early September. 

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The Back Line

Best bet

• UEFA Super Cup: Atalanta BC vs. Real Madrid, Wednesday, 3 p.m. ET
  THE PICK: Kylian Mbappe first or last goal scorer (+280) — With the French superstar’s debut now here, it makes sense to imagine that he will make a fast start in a game which Real look likely to win on paper. With Mbappe expected to play from the off, he should get at least an hour to try to score a goal on his first appearance as Los Blancos go for some early season silverware. This one is fairly straightforward: the ex-PSG man is +280 to score either the first or the last goal of the game which should pay out fairly well given how likely it is to happen.

For more picks, predictions, expert tips and the latest betting news, don’t miss out on CBSSports.com’s betting home page.  

What’s on CBS Sports Golazo Network

 Morning Footy (Weekdays 8-10 a.m.): Hosts Susannah Collins, Charlie Davies, Nico Cantor and Alexis Guerreros help fans get their day started on the network’s flagship morning show with highlights, interviews and the biggest soccer storylines. Morning Footy is also available in podcast form, so you’ll never have to miss an episode.

3⃣ Attacking Third (Monday, Thursday,): The leading women’s soccer podcast and social brand is now a live studio show. The NWSL season is back and our coverage of the women’s game is stronger than ever. Our analysts will be breaking down the USWNT, NWSL and European domestic season all year long. And don’t miss Wednesday live streams on YouTube at 11 a.m. ET.

 Call it What You Want (Monday night): A weekly podcast where Jimmy Conrad, Charlie Davies and co. cover all things USMNT and the state of the beautiful game in the United States. You can also catch the show streaming live on YouTube every Monday at 11 a.m. ET.

 Scoreline (Daily): Scoreline is the newest place for fans to catch up on all the biggest news and results impacting global football, match highlights from the top soccer competitions and all the can’t-miss goals from the day’s action, starting Thursday and airing seven days a week.

 How to watch: CBS Sports Golazo Network is a free 24/7 channel exclusively dedicated to offering unparalleled coverage of all the top soccer competitions worldwide. You can stream for free on the CBS Sports app, Pluto TV and Paramount+.