Paris Saint-Germain return to the UEFA Super Cup with another English test in their path. The European champions face Aston Villa in Salzburg, months after their thrilling Champions League quarter-final battle in 2025.
PSG edged Villa 5-4 on aggregate in the 2025 season edition of the Champions League, but Villa won the second leg 3-2 at a wild Villa Park. Now both sides meet again, with more than silverware at stake.
PSG have become one of Europe’s most powerful teams under Luis Enrique. They have won nine trophies across the last two seasons, including their first Champions League crown.
Their rise has been built on a settled squad and a clear style. Ousmane Dembele, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Desire Doue give them speed and quality in attack, while Vitinha, Fabian Ruiz and Joao Neves provide control in midfield.
Villa know exactly how dangerous PSG can be. In their last meeting, Enrique admitted: “We were really suffering. I do not think this team has been dominated in this way.”
Villa almost completed the comeback that night. Youri Tielemans, John McGinn and Ezri Konsa scored in a stunning 23-minute spell, but Gianluigi Donnarumma produced vital saves to keep PSG alive.
That experience could give Unai Emery’s side belief. The Villa boss has already won the Europa League five times, but he has lost all three of his previous Super Cup attempts.
Villa also arrive in a period of change. Morgan Rogers has joined Chelsea for £117m, while Tielemans has moved to Manchester United for £35m.
Those departures leave major gaps. Emery has moved quickly to rebuild, but several key players are still missing, including Emiliano Martinez, Ezri Konsa and Ollie Watkins.
PSG also have absentees after a busy summer. The French giants have played only two pre-season matches and failed to win either, but their squad remains packed with elite talent.
For Villa, this is more than another final. Emery called it “a new era, with this possibility to fight for trophies.”
The Super Cup now gives that new era its first major test. PSG arrive as European champions, but Villa arrive with unfinished business.
