Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain solidified their standing as Europe’s premier club side by defeating Aston Villa 2-1 in the UEFA Super Cup on Wednesday. The victory in Salzburg allowed the French giants to successfully defend the title they first claimed last year against Tottenham Hotspur.
The match was officiated by Somalian referee Omar Artan, who recently made headlines after being denied entry at Miami International Airport in June despite his selection for the FIFA World Cup refereeing panel.
Both managers fielded competitive lineups ahead of their domestic campaigns. PSG’s starting XI featured nine players from their Champions League final win over Arsenal, including captain Marquinhos, Vitinha, and Joao Neves. Notably, new signing Lucas Digne began on the bench against his former club. Unai Emery’s Aston Villa side saw debuts for Joao Gomes and teenager Brian Madjo, while Boubacar Kamara made his return to the pitch following a long-term knee injury.
The intensity was evident early on, with Kamara testing PSG goalkeeper Matvey Safonov with a long-range effort in the 13th minute. PSG responded shortly after; following a parried save from Marco Bizot, the ball was recycled to Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who cut inside from the left to blast a powerful shot into the near post at the 20-minute mark.
Despite PSG’s pressure, Villa remained resilient. After narrowly missing a header earlier in the half, 17-year-old Brian Madjo equalized in the 45th minute, lashing a left-footed strike into the roof of the net following a precise cross from John McGinn.
Following the break, Emery introduced Ousmane Dembele to the fray. The second half remained end-to-end, with McGinn forcing a save from Safonov before Desire Doue thought he had restored PSG’s lead in the 61st minute. Although initially flagged for offside, a VAR review confirmed that Matty Cash had played the winger onside, and the goal was awarded.
Aston Villa pushed for a second equalizer, with Safonov denying George Hemmings and Warren Zaire-Emery blocking a dangerous strike from Joao Gomes. Luis Enrique brought on Fabian Ruiz in the final 15 minutes to bolster the midfield as PSG looked to protect their narrow lead.
Villa’s final opportunity to force extra time arrived in the closing 10 minutes, but Tammy Abraham was unable to connect with a dangerous cut-back from Alysson inside the six-yard box. The result marks a successful start to the season for the Ligue 1 champions, who are aiming for a third consecutive Champions League title this year.
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 34-year-old referee unwittingly found himself in the media spotlight in June after being turned away on arrival at Miami International Airport, despite being part of the panel of referees selected by FIFA for the World Cup.
Ahead of the start of their respective domestic seasons, both sides named relatively strong sides.
Villa rested World Cup campaigners Ezri Konsa, Emi Martinez and Ollie Watkins, but Unai Emery handed debuts to midfielder Joao Gomes and striker Madjo.
Midfielder Boubacar Kamara also started for the first time since suffering a serious knee injury in January.
The Georgian began to overwhelm the Villa defence as minutes later he released left-back Nuno Mendes, whose cut-back somehow evaded his on-rushing teammates.
But Villa withstood the flurry and should have been level just prior to the half-hour when Madjo glanced wide a John McGinn cross.
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.
Villa kept up their head of steam after the interval, though, as Madjo and McGinn again combined to good effect, with the 31-year-old forcing Safonov to beat away his curling effort.
France international Desire Doue raced in down the right and bent into the Villa net on 61 minutes but was initially denied by the assistant’s flag.
