Paris Saint-Germain retained the UEFA Super Cup with a 2-1 victory over Aston Villa in Salzburg on Wednesday night.
The Champions League holders took the lead in the 20th minute when Khvicha Kvaratskhelia cut inside from the left and fired a powerful effort beyond Marco Bizot.
Villa responded before half-time through 17-year-old Brian Madjo, who marked his competitive debut in spectacular fashion by volleying John McGinn’s cross into the far corner. The England Under-17 international had already missed two chances but made no mistake with his third.
Madjo became the youngest player to score in Super Cup history and his goal capped an extraordinary eight-month wait to make his Villa debut. The striker joined from Metz for 10 million pounds in January but was initially prevented from playing after FIFA blocked his registration. Villa successfully appealed the decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport earlier this month.
PSG restored their advantage shortly after the hour mark through Désiré Doue. The 21-year-old ran onto Ousmane Dembele’s pass and finished beyond Bizot, with the goal initially ruled out for offside before a VAR review overturned the decision.
Villa refused to surrender and came close to an equaliser, with George Hemmings forcing a strong save from PSG goalkeeper Matvey Safonov shortly after Doue’s strike. Safonov was also called upon several times as Emery’s side threatened to take the game to extra time.
Villa, who qualified for the Super Cup after winning the Europa League in May, ultimately fell short as PSG secured their second consecutive title. Luis Enrique’s side are the first team since Real Madrid in 2016 and 2017 to win the competition in successive seasons.
The defeat also extended Unai Emery’s unwanted Super Cup record, with the Villa manager having now lost all four of his finals in the competition, including defeats during his spells with Sevilla and Villarreal.
