Paris Saint Germain and Aston Villa shared an entertaining UEFA Super Cup final at the Red Bull Arena in Salzburg. The Champions League winners met the Europa League champions in a rematch of their 2024-25 quarter-final.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia opened the scoring in the 20th minute to put Paris Saint Germain ahead. The winger curled a beautiful finish inside the top corner of the penalty area beyond the diving goalkeeper.
Desire Doue had almost broken the deadlock moments earlier with a deflected effort created by Kvaratskhelia. His shot was exceptionally saved by Marco Bizot, but there was no saving the follow-up.
Aston Villa responded well and should have equalised eight minutes later. Brian Madjo headed wide from a promising position when unmarked inside the box.
Madjo made amends before the interval to bring Aston Villa level. John McGinn provided the assist for his equaliser in the 45th minute to make it 1-1.
The final was a reunion after last season's Champions League quarter-final, which Paris Saint Germain won 5-4 on aggregate. Kvaratskhelia had fired the eventual winners ahead before Nuno Mendes made it 3-1 in the first leg.
Both clubs arrived in Salzburg with one UEFA Super Cup title to their name. Paris Saint Germain triumphed in 2025 against Tottenham on penalties, while Aston Villa beat Barcelona over two legs in 1982.
Somalia's Omar Artan took charge as referee for the showpiece fixture. He was appointed after being controversially left out of the World Cup when denied a visa to enter the United States.
Unai Emery's side entered a new era with a test against the European kingpins. Villa showed the same resilience that saw them win the second leg 3-2 in April despite bowing out.
The contest highlighted the balance between Paris Saint Germain's attacking flair and Aston Villa's discipline. With early goals at both ends, the Super Cup set the tone for the new European season.
