Paris Saint-Germain secured the UEFA Supercup with a 2:1 victory over Aston Villa in Salzburg, continuing a dominant continental streak for reigning Champions League titleholders. Goals from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Désiré Doué powered the French giants past the Europa League winners, despite a historic performance from 17-year-old Aston Villa forward Brian Madjo.
How PSG and Kvaratskhelia Struck First
The match opened in front of 27,681 spectators in Salzburg, Austria, with both sides trading early blows before Paris Saint-Germain broke the deadlock in the 20th minute. According to match reports, Aston Villa failed to clear a loose ball inside their own penalty area, allowing Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to capitalize with a powerful right-footed strike. The Georgian winger, who previously troubled Bayern Munich during the previous season’s Champions League semi-finals, slotted home to give the French side a 1:0 advantage.
Brian Madjo Makes History with a Double Record
Despite falling behind, Unai Emery’s Premier League side refused to back down. Seventeen-year-old Brian Madjo, whose availability for the English club had been the subject of recent sport-political wrangling before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) granted his playing permit in early August following initial FIFA resistance, dominated the attacking third. Madjo tested the PSG defense repeatedly with headers and curling efforts before finally breaking through just before halftime. Left unmarked briefly by defender Willian Pacho, the teenager met a cross with a sharp, close-range volley to equalize.
According to match statistics, the strike and subsequent start cemented a pair of historic milestones for the young forward. At 17 years and seven months old, Madjo became the youngest professional ever to start a UEFA Supercup match, while also surpassing former Ajax star Patrick Kluivert as the youngest goalscorer in the competition’s history.
Désiré Doué Restores the Lead After VAR Review
The decisive moment arrived after the hour mark. In the 61st minute, Désiré Doué found the back of the net for Paris Saint-Germain. Though the assistant referee initially flagged the play for offside, a subsequent VAR review vindicated the officials, prompting referee Omar Artan to validate the goal and restore PSG’s lead at 2:1.
Referee Omar Artan of Somalia became the first non-European official to referee a Supercup match, a milestone that followed his controversial omission from the officiating roster for the World Cup in the United States and the subsequent global outcry. “It was a very hard time,” Artan remarked ahead of the fixture, expressing profound gratitude to UEFA for the appointment. “When we received this call, it was a very happy moment for my family and me,” the 34-year-old referee noted.
Tactical Adjustments and Missing Stars
While Paris Saint-Germain deployed a nearly full-strength starting lineup featuring their top talents, Aston Villa manager Unai Emery chose to manage his squad carefully against his former club. Emery left several high-profile World Cup participants out of the matchday squad, including Ezri Konsa, Ollie Watkins, and Emiliano Martínez. In addition, former Freiburg player Johan Manzambi was unavailable due to injury.
With the 2:1 result sealed, Paris Saint-Germain extended an impressive run for European football’s elite: Champions League holders have now captured eight consecutive UEFA Supercup trophies.
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