Paris Saint-Germain continued their dominance in European football by defeating Aston Villa 2-1 to retain the UEFA Super Cup at Salzburg’s Red Bull Arena on Wednesday night.
Desire Douรฉ scored the decisive goal just after the hour mark, with a lengthy VAR check confirming the strike as the Champions League winners claimed back-to-back Super Cup titles.
PSG had taken the lead in the 20th minute through Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who fired home after being picked out by Douรฉ. The French side looked in control for much of the opening half, but Aston Villa hit back just before the interval through teenage debutant Brian Madjo.
The 17-year-old England Under-17 international, making his competitive debut after finally being cleared to play following a successful appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, volleyed home John McGinn’s cross to become the youngest goalscorer in UEFA Super Cup history.
Villa carried plenty of attacking threat despite arriving in Austria without several key players, and goalkeeper Matvey Safonov was called into action on several occasions to preserve parity.
However, PSG restored their advantage in the 61st minute when Ousmane Dembรฉlรฉ slipped Douรฉ through on goal. The forward calmly finished past the Villa goalkeeper before VAR confirmed he had timed his run perfectly.
The victory secured another piece of silverware for the French champions, who won the Super Cup for the first time last year by defeating Tottenham Hotspur on penalties and have now successfully defended the trophy.
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Despite defeat, Villa produced an encouraging display against Europe’s top side. Madjo impressed throughout after an eight-month wait to make his competitive debut, while Boubacar Kamara also marked his return from a long-term knee injury.
The defeat also extended Unai Emery’s unfortunate record in the UEFA Super Cup, with the Spaniard now losing all four finals he has managed in the competition during spells with Sevilla, Villarreal and Aston Villa.
The occasion also made history away from the players, with Somali referee Omar Artan becoming the first non-European official to referee the UEFA Super Cup.
PSG now begin the new season with another European trophy in their cabinet, while Aston Villa will take confidence from a spirited performance as they turn their attention to the Premier League campaign.
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