Paris Saint-Germain confirmed their standing as Europe’s premier club side on Wednesday, defeating Aston Villa 2-1 in a tense UEFA Super Cup clash in Salzburg to successfully defend the title they first captured a year earlier.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Desire Doue found the net for PSG on either side of a memorable full debut goal from Villa teenager Brian Madjo, in a match refereed by Somalian official Omar Artan, who briefly found himself in the media spotlight back in June after being turned away at Miami International Airport despite being part of FIFA’s selected panel of World Cup referees.
Both sides fielded relatively strong lineups despite the fixture arriving just ahead of their domestic season openers. PSG’s starting XI included nine players who had lifted the Champions League trophy against Arsenal in May, among them Vitinha, Joao Neves, and captain Marquinhos, while newly signed left-back Lucas Digne, who joined the Parisians just days earlier, watched from the bench against his former club. Villa manager Unai Emery, meanwhile, rested World Cup regulars Ezri Konsa, Emi Martinez, and Ollie Watkins, opting instead to hand debuts to midfielder Joao Gomes and striker Madjo, while also recalling midfielder Boubacar Kamara for his first appearance since a serious knee injury in January.
Kamara nearly opened the scoring early, forcing a low effort from distance in the 13th minute that Matvey Safonov watched drift past his post. The scare seemed to jolt PSG into gear, and after Marco Bizot parried away a follow-up chance, the French side worked the ball out to Kvaratskhelia on the left, who cut inside in the 20th minute and rifled a shot into the near post to break the deadlock. The Georgian winger continued to torment Villa’s defence shortly after, releasing left-back Nuno Mendes down the flank, though his dangerous cut-back somehow evaded a crowd of onrushing PSG teammates.
Villa weathered the pressure and nearly drew level just before the half-hour mark when Madjo glanced a John McGinn cross narrowly wide, one of several good openings the 17-year-old squandered as it looked increasingly like Emery’s side would head into the break trailing. But Madjo finally got his reward in first-half stoppage time, connecting with another McGinn delivery and lashing it left-footed into the roof of the net to level the score heading into halftime.
Emery responded to the shifting momentum by introducing Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele at the break in place of new signing Maghnes Akliouche, and Villa carried their second-half energy forward as Madjo and McGinn combined again, this time forcing Safonov into a save from a curling McGinn effort. The decisive moment arrived in the 61st minute, when Doue raced down the right and curled a finish into the net, only for the goal to initially be flagged offside. VAR intervened and overturned the call, determining that Villa right-back Matty Cash had played Doue onside from the far side of the pitch, awarding the goal to PSG’s evident relief.
Villa nearly struck back immediately through 19-year-old George Hemmings, but Safonov held firm to preserve the lead, while Warren Zaire-Emery was forced into a last-ditch block to deny a Gomes effort soon after. With Villa pressing for an equaliser, PSG manager Luis Enrique brought on World Cup winner Fabian Ruiz with fifteen minutes remaining to reinforce midfield control. Villa’s best late chance fell to Tammy Abraham, who narrowly failed to connect with a low cut-back inside the six-yard box in the final ten minutes.
PSG ultimately held on to secure a winning start to their new campaign, extending their run of silverware as the Qatar-backed Ligue 1 champions continue chasing what they hope will become a third consecutive Champions League title.
