Aston Villa were eclipsed by Paris St Germain as the back-to-back Champions League winners claimed the Super Cup with a 2-1 victory in Salzburg. The result ensured PSG became only the third club to retain the trophy after AC Milan in 1990 and Real Madrid in 2017, allowing Luis Enrique to celebrate a European double-double.
For Unai Emery, the match proved to be a frustrating encounter. Despite his impressive record in European competitions—including a fifth Europa League title secured against Freiburg in May—the Super Cup remains a trophy he has yet to capture. That famous victory in Istanbul – Villa’s first trophy in 30 years – earned the Spanish boss a fourth shot at trying to win the European season-opening showpiece, but he slipped to a fourth defeat.
In truth, Villa, taking on the star-studded French champions in the foothills of the Austrian Alps, always had a mountain to climb. The Premier League side had sold key players Morgan Rogers and Youri Tielemans and left World Cup trio Ollie Watkins, Ezri Konsa and Emi Martinez at home. Shortly after a solar eclipse had cast its shadow over the Red Bull Arena, it proved to be an ultimately gloomy evening for the English side.
History was made as referee Omar Artan became the first non-European to officiate in the prestigious fixture. The 34-year-old Somalian official had been denied entry into the United States for the World Cup two months earlier, but he took charge of this high-profile European clash with composure.
One PSG player not suffering a World Cup hangover was Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, with the mercurial Georgian winger having had the summer off. He struck after 20 minutes, gliding into the Villa box and shimmying past Matty Cash before lashing the ball past Villa keeper Marco Bizot to open the scoring.
Villa teenager Brian Madjo was making his debut following a protracted wrangle over FIFA rules since a January move from Metz. The bustling 17-year-old could have had a hat-trick before he hauled Villa level. He was off target twice with headers from inviting John McGinn crosses and then slipped a shot past PSG keeper Matvey Safonov only to see it crash back off the outside of the near post.
But Madjo kept on plugging away and got his reward on the stroke of half-time – with arguably his most difficult chance. The rookie striker superbly held off Willian Pacho at the far post, sticking out a leg to volley another McGinn cross home to become the youngest goalscorer in Super Cup history.
Early in the second half, Madjo threatened to burst through the PSG rearguard before laying the ball off to McGinn, whose shot was palmed away by Safonov. Villa continued to push, but the French champions remained dangerous on the counter-attack throughout the second period.
PSG had needed penalties to beat Tottenham in last season’s Super Cup, but this time they won it on the hour when Desire Doue raced on to Ousmane Dembele’s ball over the top. Doue cut inside and finished past Bizot to restore the French side’s lead.
The France wideman was initially flagged offside, but a VAR check showed he was on, to the dismay of Villa’s tiring players. Les Parisiens, 74 days on from beating Arsenal on spot-kicks to win the Champions League, claimed yet another piece of silverware in a hard-fought contest.
The match served as a reminder of the depth required to compete at the highest level of European football. While Villa showed heart, the clinical nature of PSG’s attack ultimately proved the difference in the Austrian heat.
Looking ahead, the football calendar remains packed with action. Upcoming fixtures include Eintracht Braunschweig against VfL Bochum, Würzburger Kickers facing Wehen Wiesbaden, and SSV Ulm taking on Kickers Offenbach, while Atalanta prepare to meet Athletic Bilbao on August 15th.
PLAYER RATINGS | PSG 2-1 Aston Villa: Désiré Doué delivers winner to retain Super Cup Get French Football News
PLAYER RATINGS | PSG 2-1 Aston Villa: Désiré Doué delivers winner to retain Super Cup
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