Paris Saint-Germain reaffirmed their status as Europe’s premier club side by defeating Aston Villa 2-1 to retain the UEFA Super Cup on Wednesday. The victory in Salzburg saw the Champions League winners successfully defend the trophy they first claimed a year ago against Tottenham Hotspur. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Desire Doue provided the decisive goals, overcoming a spirited debut performance from Villa teenager Brian Madjo.
The match was officiated by Somalian referee Omar Artan. The 34-year-old official recently garnered significant media attention in June after being denied entry upon arrival at Miami International Airport, despite his status as a FIFA-selected referee for the upcoming World Cup. His presence on the pitch added a layer of external focus to the high-stakes encounter between the Ligue 1 champions and the Europa League winners.
Both managers fielded strong lineups ahead of their domestic campaigns. PSG’s starting XI included nine players from their Champions League final victory over Arsenal, including captain Marquinhos, Vitinha, and Joao Neves. Notably, French left-back Lucas Digne, who joined the Parisians just days prior, started on the bench against his former club. Unai Emery’s Villa side rested several World Cup stars, including Emi Martinez, Ezri Konsa, and Ollie Watkins, but handed debuts to midfielder Joao Gomes and striker Brian Madjo. Boubacar Kamara also made his return to the starting lineup following a long-term knee injury.
The early exchanges were competitive, with Kamara threatening the PSG goal in the 13th minute with a low-range effort that Matvey Safonov comfortably monitored. The attempt served as a wake-up call for the French side. Shortly after, Marco Bizot parried a PSG effort, but the ball was recycled to Kvaratskhelia on the left flank. The Georgian international cut inside on 20 minutes and unleashed a powerful strike at the near post to open the scoring.
Kvaratskhelia continued to pressure the Villa defense, moments later releasing Nuno Mendes, whose cross narrowly missed his teammates. Despite the pressure, Villa maintained their composure. Brian Madjo nearly equalized before the half-hour mark, glancing a John McGinn cross just wide. The 17-year-old missed several opportunities, but his persistence paid off in the 45th minute when he connected with another McGinn delivery, lashing a left-footed strike into the roof of the net to level the score.
At the interval, PSG manager Luis Enrique introduced Ousmane Dembele to replace Maghnes Akliouche. Villa maintained their momentum after the break, with McGinn forcing a sharp save from Safonov following a combination with Madjo. The game remained finely balanced until the 61st minute, when Desire Doue raced down the right and curled a shot into the Villa net. Although initially flagged for offside, a VAR review determined that Matty Cash had played the winger onside, and the goal was awarded.
Aston Villa responded immediately, with 19-year-old George Hemmings testing Safonov, who stood firm to preserve the 2-1 lead. Defensive resilience was required from PSG, as Warren Zaire-Emery made a crucial block to deny Joao Gomes. Luis Enrique brought on Fabian Ruiz with 15 minutes remaining to bolster the midfield as Villa pushed for a late equalizer.
Villa’s final major opportunity arrived in the closing ten minutes, but Tammy Abraham was unable to reach a dangerous cut-back from Alysson inside the six-yard box. PSG successfully navigated the final stages of the match to secure the win. This victory marks a positive start to the new season for the Ligue 1 champions, who are aiming to secure a third consecutive Champions League title in the coming months.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Desire Doue netted either side of a debut goal for Villa teenager Brian Madjo in Salzburg as PSG defended the title they first won 12 months ago against another Premier League side, Tottenham Hotspur.
The 17-year-old saw another couple of good chances go by as it seemed like Emery’s charges would go into the break behind.
Comments