PSG put their title on the line
Paris Saint-Germain are back in the UEFA Super Cup on Wednesday night. The stage is Salzburg and the Red Bull Arena. Standing in their way is Aston Villa. Last season’s Champions League winners meet the Europa League holders in a proper early-season test, before the leagues have even got going.
Paris head in as favourites. Opta’s supercomputer gives Luis Enrique’s side a 45% chance of winning inside 90 minutes. Aston Villa are handed 29.6%, with the rest split between extra time and penalties.
The Parisians already know how this feels. Last year they dragged themselves to a 2-2 draw with Tottenham, then won 4-3 on penalties in Udine. Win again and they become only the fourth club to retain the Super Cup, after Ajax, AC Milan and Real Madrid.
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Luis Enrique and Emery, familiar foes
Luis Enrique has never lost this competition. Two finals, two wins. Back in 2015 his Barcelona side beat Unai Emery’s Sevilla 5-4 in the highest-scoring final the fixture has ever seen. The Spaniard knows exactly what sits across from him.
Emery carries the opposite baggage. Three Super Cup finals, three defeats. He does, though, run into the PSG club he managed from 2016 to 2018. His Villans arrive in decent shape after beating Freiburg to win the Europa League, though they are without Youri Tielemans and Morgan Rogers, gone to Manchester United and Chelsea.
Paris are on a ridiculous run. They have scored in 28 straight matches, dating back to a 1-0 loss to Paris FC in January. The last time they put a streak together like that was 2019-20.
A serious first test
Both managers will hand debuts to new signings. Maghnes Akliouche gets his first look at the PSG shirt after arriving from Monaco. Aston Villa are banking on Joao Gomes and loan signing Alejandro Garnacho.
The English side have been warned. Five of the last six Super Cups involving an English club have gone to penalties. That script could easily return tonight.
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