Paris St Germain retained the UEFA Super Cup on Wednesday, beating Aston Villa 2-1 in Salzburg, Austria, in the traditional curtain-raiser to the European football season.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia put the back-to-back Champions League winners ahead in the 20th minute with a powerfully struck opener. Villa drew level on the stroke of half-time through a volley from Brian Madjo.
Desire Doue restored the French side’s lead in the 61st minute, running onto a pass from Ousmane Dembele. The goal was initially ruled out for offside before a video review overturned the decision, with Matty Cash judged to have played Doue onside. Villa, the Europa League holders, could not equalise a second time.
PSG are the first team to win consecutive Super Cup titles since Real Madrid in 2016 and 2017. The match is the first of a possible six trophies for the club this season.
A debut record for Madjo
Madjo’s goal made the 17-year-old striker the youngest player to both start and score in a UEFA Super Cup final. It came on his competitive debut for Villa, days after he received clearance to play following a registration dispute with FIFA.
“We are always hungry, we want more,” Doue told TNT Sports after the match. He added that PSG had ambitions to win everything again this season with a young squad.
Referee at the centre of a FIFA-UEFA rift
The game was refereed by Omar Artan of Somalia, who was barred from officiating at the FIFA World Cup shortly before the tournament began after US officials denied him entry, citing vetting concerns and alleging links to militant organisations without presenting evidence.
UEFA, which rates Artan among Africa’s leading officials, appointed him to the Super Cup in what Al Jazeera described as a pointed response to FIFA amid worsening relations between the two bodies.
