Paris Saint-Germain successfully defended their Super Cup crown with a 2-1 victory over Aston Villa in Salzburg, marking their second straight win in the traditional European curtain-raiser.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia opened the scoring for the Champions League holders in the 20th minute, but Villa’s young talent Brian Madjo leveled the match with a stunning debut goal just before halftime. Desire Doue then netted the winner after the break, handing Luis Enrique yet another continental honor.
With this result, PSG became just the third side in history to retain the Super Cup, joining AC Milan (1990) and Real Madrid (2017). For Unai Emery, however, this competition remains a tough nut to crack after suffering his fourth defeat in the final.
PSG add another trophy to their growing collection
PSG arrived in Austria just 74 days after their penalty shootout win over Arsenal in the Champions League final, and they wasted little time in adding more hardware to their cabinet. Unlike last season’s Super Cup, where they needed spot-kicks to get past Tottenham, this time they sealed the deal within regulation time.
Villa faced an uphill battle against the star-packed French outfit, especially after losing Morgan Rogers and Youri Tielemans to transfers. Meanwhile, Ollie Watkins, Ezri Konsa, and Emi Martinez were all absent due to their World Cup commitments.
The fixture also made history with referee Omar Artan. The 34-year-old Somali official became the first non-European to take charge of this marquee event, just two months after being barred from entering the United States for the World Cup.
Brian Madjo provides a glimmer of hope for Villa
PSG drew first blood in the 20th minute through Kvaratskhelia. The Georgian winger, who spent his summer away from the World Cup, sliced through the Villa defense, bypassed Matty Cash, and fired past goalkeeper Marco Bizot.
Madjo, on the other hand, was a constant headache for PSG during his debut appearance. The 17-year-old could have easily bagged a hat-trick before finally scoring. He first nodded two John McGinn crosses wide, then saw another attempt beat keeper Matvey Safonov but bounce off the near post.
Undeterred by those near misses, the teenager made amends just before the break. Madjo muscled past Willian Pacho at the far post, stretched to meet another McGinn delivery, and volleyed it home, becoming the youngest scorer in Super Cup history.
Villa fight back before PSG regain control
Villa came out firing in the second half, with Madjo again leading the charge. He broke free and set up McGinn, whose shot was denied by Safonov as the Premier League side pushed for a go-ahead goal.
PSG eventually regained their composure and took the lead for good when Doue struck in the 60th minute. The French international latched onto a lofted pass from Ousmane Dembele, cut inside, and slotted past Bizot.
The goal was initially flagged for offside, but a VAR review confirmed Doue was onside, much to the dismay of Villa’s weary players. That decision restored PSG’s advantage and shifted the momentum firmly in their favor.
Doue’s strike secures a memorable double for PSG
Doue’s goal turned out to be the match-winner as PSG held on to complete yet another European triumph. Luis Enrique celebrated his second consecutive Super Cup victory, adding to his impressive haul with the Parisian club.
For Villa, the defeat extended Emery’s unfortunate streak in this competition. Despite guiding Villa to a fifth Europa League title in May against Freiburg, the Spanish tactician could not add the Super Cup to his resume after four attempts.
Villa’s night started with a bright spark from Madjo, especially after the solar eclipse cast its shadow over the Red Bull Arena. But in the end, it was PSG who emerged from Salzburg with the trophy and yet another piece of silverware to their name.