Paris Saint-Germain has claimed consecutive UEFA Super Cup titles after defeating Aston Villa in Salzburg. The victory marked a significant achievement for the Champions League holders.
The decisive goal came in the 62nd minute from Desire Doue, following a video assistant referee (VAR) review for offside. This sealed the win for the French side.
Match Highlights and Key Players
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia opened the scoring for PSG in the 20th minute with a powerful strike. However, Aston Villa responded just before half-time, with Brian Madjo scoring in the 45th minute.
Madjo, an England Under-17 international, became the youngest scorer in the Super Cup on his debut at the Red Bull Arena. His goal came after he volleyed in a cross from John McGinn. This marked the end of an eight-month period where Villa was unable to register him due to a FIFA ban after his £10m transfer from Metz in January. Villa successfully appealed this ban through the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) at the beginning of August, allowing him to participate in competitive matches.
Despite Madjo’s impressive performance and constant threat to the PSG defence, his goal was not enough to prevent the French team from retaining the trophy. PSG had previously won the Super Cup for the first time last year by defeating Tottenham on penalties. Aston Villa, participating in the Super Cup after winning the Europa League in May, created several opportunities, forcing PSG goalkeeper Matvey Safonov to make crucial saves.
Coaches’ Reactions and Historical Context
For Aston Villa manager Unai Emery, the defeat marked his fourth loss in a Super Cup final, having also experienced similar outcomes with former clubs Sevilla and Villarreal. Despite the loss, Emery expressed pride in his team’s competitive spirit and tactical discipline, noting their ability to create scoring chances.
PSG coach Luis Enrique celebrated the victory, which makes PSG only the third team in history to win successive Super Cups. This achievement places them alongside AC Milan (1989 and 1990) and Real Madrid (2016 and 2017). Désiré Doué, the match-winner, highlighted the team’s ambition and hunger for more success, emphasizing their youth and desire to win everything this season.
The match also saw Omar Artan, a Somali official, make history as the first non-European referee to officiate the contest. Artan had previously been denied entry into the United States for this summer’s World Cup. During the post-match ceremony, Marquinhos lifted the trophy for Paris Saint-Germain, with confetti falling as the team celebrated their back-to-back triumph.
Aston Villa’s Emi Buendía reflected on the team’s performance, acknowledging the disappointment of the loss but also expressing pride in how they competed against top players. He noted that despite the outcome, the team showed character and will continue to work hard under the manager’s philosophy. Villa also appears to have identified promising talent in 19-year-old midfielder George Hemmings and Brian Madjo, who at 17, made history as the youngest scorer in Super Cup history.
The final score was Paris Saint-Germain 2, Aston Villa 1.
Source: bbc.co.uk
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