Paris Saint-Germain have started the season with another international trophy. The Champions League winners beat Europa League holders Aston Villa 2-1 in front of 27,681 spectators in Salzburg on Wednesday night, retaining the Super Cup they had won against Tottenham Hotspur FC a year earlier. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Désiré Doué scored for PSG, while debutant Brian Madjo grabbed Villa’s temporary equaliser.
Kvaratskhelia puts PSG ahead
Luis Enrique had little time to prepare his team because of the World Cup, with a number of players only returning to full training a few days before the match. Even so, nine members of the starting XI had also begun last season’s Champions League final. Ousmane Dembélé was initially left on the bench, while new signing Maghnes Akliouche started in attack.
Paris took the lead after 20 minutes. Doué found Kvaratskhelia inside the penalty area, where the Georgian beat Matty Cash before firing home a powerful finish for 1-0. Aston Villa were not discouraged and created several excellent opportunities, with Madjo at the heart of much of their attacking threat.
The 17-year-old headed wide twice and then struck the upright from close range shortly before half-time. He made no mistake moments later. After a cross from John McGinn, Madjo held off Willian Pacho and finished first time to make it 1-1.
Madjo misses chances but breaks Super Cup record
Brian Madjo was one of the most eye-catching players on the pitch. At 17 years and 212 days, the forward became the youngest goalscorer in UEFA Super Cup history. The previous record had belonged to Patrick Kluivert, who was 19 years and 220 days old when he scored for Ajax in 1996.
Madjo’s influence went well beyond his goal. The teenager attempted six shots, was involved in four big chances and finished with an Expected Goals figure of 0.98. He led the match in all three categories. At the same time, there was still room for improvement in his finishing: only one of his six attempts was on target – the one that produced Villa’s equaliser.
It was also Madjo’s first competitive appearance for Aston Villa, making the impact of his performance even more striking. The teenager, signed from FC Metz in January, had only received clearance to play a few days before the Super Cup following a successful appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
The number of chances Madjo failed to convert should not overshadow the overall impression. More important was how regularly he managed to get into dangerous shooting positions. If he continues to find those spaces as consistently, an improvement in his finishing should follow. Madjo is certainly a name worth remembering ahead of the new season.
Dembélé sets up Doué for the winner
Luis Enrique made a change at the break, introducing Dembélé for Akliouche. The first major opportunity of the second half, however, fell to Villa, with John McGinn forcing PSG goalkeeper Matvei Safonov into a fine save from distance.
Paris struck again in the 61st minute. Dembélé sent Doué through with a precise pass and the 21-year-old finished into the far corner. The flag initially went up for offside, but the decision was overturned following a VAR review and the goal stood.
Villa remained dangerous and actually finished the game with more attempts overall. The English side registered 15 shots to PSG’s eleven. Paris, however, led 5-4 in efforts on target and also enjoyed 56 per cent possession.
Doué named player of the match
Doué was named UEFA Player of the Match. In addition to scoring the winning goal, he also provided the assist for Kvaratskhelia’s opener. He became the first player since Luis Suárez for FC Barcelona in 2015 to record both a goal and an assist in a UEFA Super Cup.
It was PSG’s second Super Cup triumph in club history, with both titles coming within the space of twelve months. Only two clubs had previously won the competition in consecutive years: AC Milan in 1989 and 1990, and Real Madrid in 2016 and 2017.
The wider trend also continues to favour the Champions League winners. They have now won 31 of the 51 editions of the Super Cup. Atlético Madrid in 2018 remain the most recent Europa League winners to lift the trophy.
Luis Enrique wins his third Super Cup
Luis Enrique has now won the competition three times as a coach, following his 2015 triumph with FC Barcelona and PSG’s victories in 2025 and 2026. Only Carlo Ancelotti, with five titles, and Pep Guardiola, with four, have won more.
For Unai Emery, meanwhile, a notable run of defeats in the competition continued. The Aston Villa manager has now lost all four of the Super Cups he has contested, following previous defeats in 2014, 2015 and 2021.
