…Paris St-Germain 2-1 Aston Villa: French side win back-to-back Uefa Super Cup titles
SALZBURG, Austria – Paris St-Germain made it back-to-back Uefa Super Cup titles after a narrow victory over spirited Aston Villa.
Desire Doue’s 62nd-minute winner – after a video assistant referee (VAR) check for offside – sealed the success for the Champions League holders in Salzburg.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia thumped in a delightful 20th-minute opener for PSG, before Villa’s Brian Madjo announced himself in fine style with a 45th-minute leveller.
The 17-year-old striker became the youngest scorer in the Super Cup when he struck on his debut at the Red Bull Arena.
Madjo, an England Under-17 international, had already missed two fine chances – shooting wide and heading over – before volleying in John McGinn’s cross at the back post just before half-time.
It marked a perfect ending to an eight-month battle to play, with Villa banned from registering him by Fifa, after he joined from Metz for £10m in January.
Villa won an appeal at the start of August through the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to allow him to play in competitive fixtures.
Madjo was a constant physical threat to the PSG defence, but his goal was not enough to stop the French side retain the trophy they won for the first time last year by beating Tottenham on penalties.
Villa, playing in the Super Cup after winning the Europa League in May, had their chances, forcing PSG keeper Matvey Safonov into solid saves.
But defeat meant boss Unai Emery has now lost all four of his finals in the competition after also missing out with previous clubs Sevilla and Villarreal.
Somali official Omar Artan made history as the first non-European referee to take charge of the contest, having been denied entry into the United States for this summer’s World Cup.
Aston Villa analysis: Depleted in defeat but not down
Pre-game, captain McGinn promised Villa fans they could still expect “as much as possible” this season despite the high-profile exits of Morgan Rogers and Youri Tielemans.
A battling performance in Austria backed those words up as, even in this defeat by PSG, Villa scared the European champions for a second time in 18 months, following their 5-4 Champions League last-eight defeat in 2025.
It came with a depleted side.
No Ollie Watkins, Emi Martinez and Ezri Konsa – given more time off after the World Cup – which allowed teenager Madjo to finally show what he can do after Villa won their appeal to register him, and 19-year-old midfielder George Hemmings also getting a start.
The positives were also evident despite the loss, with Boubacar Kamara also playing his first competitive match since a serious knee injury in January.
Villa should be stronger for the Premier League season opener at Brighton on 23 August, with the club due to be active in the final two weeks of the transfer window.
Atletico Madrid left-back Matteo Ruggeri is poised to join this week, while they have not given up on their chase for Bayern Munich midfielder Joao Palhinha.
Ever the perfectionist, boss Emery will be frustrated by the loss – especially as it was his fourth defeat in the competition – but as Villa enter a new era there is a lot of cause for optimism.
BBC
