PSG 2-1 Aston Villa: Khvicha & Doue score to seal UEFA Super Cup for UCL holders

Desire Doue took centre stage with a goal and an assist as Paris Saint-Germain defeated Aston Villa 2-1 to win the Super Cup.

Match Report 

The Champions League holders were issued a stern test by last season's Europa League winners, though, with 17-year-old striker Brian Madjo proving a thorn in PSG's side throughout Wednesday's encounter in Salzburg.

Doue was the provider for Khvicha Kvaratskhelia's excellent opener, but Madjo – who Villa signed from Metz in January but could only register after winning an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) last month – missed a plethora of chances before equalising on the stroke of half-time.

However, Doue's composed 61st-minute finish inside the far post ensured PSG became only the fourth team to retain the Super Cup, and the first since Real Madrid in 2017.

Neither team had a real sight of goal until the 20th minute, when Marco Bizot – standing in for absent Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez – beat Doue's strike away.

But only 12 seconds later, Bizot was picking the ball out of his net. Madjo lost possession and PSG immediately started another attack, with Kvaratskhelia taking in Doue's pass before wrong-footing the Villa goalkeeper with his powerful near-post finish.

Madjo had his first chance to atone for his role in PSG's goal when he nodded John McGinn's cross agonisingly wide, and he then failed to get enough bend on a shot from the left side of the area.

Chances continued to fall to Madjo, who miscued another close-range header and prodded into the side netting, before he took his most difficult opportunity yet in the 45th minute.

While falling at the far post under pressure from Willian Pacho, he brilliantly diverted McGinn's delivery into the roof of the net.

Matvey Safonov palmed McGinn's curler to safety as Villa continued to offer a threat early in the second half, but PSG went back in front via Doue's curling left-footed finish, which was initially chalked off before a VAR review found Matty Cash had played him onside. 

George Hemmings could have become Villa's second teenage scorer when he shot straight at Safonov following some neat foot footwork, before Nuno Mendes saw a long-range piledriver parried by Bizot and promptly went down with cramp.

Ousmane Dembele, who had been introduced at half-time, lashed a wild volley over the crossbar when presented with a chance to make the result safe, but PSG held firm regardless as Emiliano Buendia passed up Villa's final opening.

More silverware for Luis Enrique, but Madjo provides a scare

Luis Enrique became only the third head coach to win the Super Cup on three occasions, having previously triumphed with Barcelona in 2015 (against Sevilla) and PSG last year (versus Tottenham). Only Carlo Ancelotti (five times) and Pep Guardiola (four) have won the competition more often. 

PSG have also joined an exclusive list of teams to win this trophy in back-to-back years, alongside Ajax (1973, 1974), AC Milan (1989, 1990) and Real Madrid (2016, 2017).

The French champions did not have things all their own way, though, primarily thanks to Madjo. At 17 years and 212 days old, he became the youngest player to ever score in the Super Cup, surpassing Patrick Kluivert in 1996 (19 years, 220 days). 

He is also the youngest player to score for Villa in any competition since January 2021, when Louie Barry (17 years, 201 days) found the net against Liverpool in the FA Cup.

Madjo led all players on the pitch for shots (six), big chances (four), and expected goals (0.98 xG), showing a knack for getting into goalscoring positions but only managing to take one of his chances – in fact, that was the only one of his attempts to hit the target.

Doue, meanwhile, became the first player to score and assist in the same Super Cup matchup since 2015, when Luis Suarez did so for Luis Enrique's Barcelona – against Unai Emery's Sevilla.

Match Events

0' The match is about to start!

13' Match Event for PSG vs Aston Villa

20' GOAL! PSG 1-0 Aston Villa (Khvicha Kvaratskhelia)

22' Match Event for PSG vs Aston Villa

26' Highlight from PSG vs Aston Villa

42' Highlight from PSG vs Aston Villa

45' GOAL! PSG 1-1 Aston Villa (Brian Madjo)

50' Match Event for PSG vs Aston Villa

61' GOAL! PSG 2-1 Aston Villa (Désiré Doué)

73' Highlight from PSG vs Aston Villa

81' Highlight from PSG vs Aston Villa

Line-ups

PSG XI: Marquinhos, Hakimi, Safonov, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Vitinha, Pacho, Nuno Mendes, Zaire-Emery, Maghnes Akliouche, Doue, João Neves

Subs: Digne, Lucas, Dembele, Fabian Ruiz, Ilya Zabarnyi, Lucas Chevalier, Barcola, Beraldo, Dro Fernández, Mayulu, Mbaye, Quentin Ndjantou

Aston Villa XI: Lindelof, Marco Bizot, McGinn, Buendia, P. Torres, Kamara, Matty Cash, Maatsen, João Gomes, George Hemmings, Brian Madjo

Subs: Barkley, Mings, Abraham, Lamare Bogarde, James Wright, Kosta Nedeljkovic, Alysson, Triston Rowe, Owen Asemota, Luka Lynch, Modou Kéba Cissé, Bradley Burrowes