ROME -- Serie A side and Europa League winners Atalanta were beaten by Real Madrid as Kylian Mbappé inspired the Spanish side to victory in the UEFA Super Cup.

 Gian Piero Gasperini’s team had defended resolutely in the first half at the Stadion Narodowy and had done well to contain a star-studded Real Madrid lineup. But the deadlock was broken after 59 minutes when Vinicius Junior weaved a run through the Atalanta back line and squared to Federico Valverde to tap in.

 Nine minutes later, Mbappé produced his first key moment in a Galacticos shirt, slamming the ball home after being found in space in the Atalanta box.

 The Europa League winners came close just moments before Real Madrid’s opener, as Thibaut Courtois spectacularly denied Mario Pasalic’s header from close range.

 Atalanta had gone into the match with a much changed team from last season’s Europa League final, with striker Gianlucca Scamacca and central defender Giorgio Scalvini both out with ACL injuries and Teun Koopmeiners left out of the squad ahead of a move to Juventus.

 The Serie A side were hoping to win just the third trophy in their history to go alongside the 1963 Coppa Italia and last season’s Europa League. But a sixth Super Cup win for Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid leaves Atalanta empty-handed.

 Gasperini’s side begin their Serie A campaign with an away trip to Lecce on Monday night.

 bq