European champions, Paris Saint-Germain, will attempt to win back-to-back UEFA Super Cups when they face Europa League holders, Aston Villa, in Salzburg today.
Luis Enrique’s side lifted the trophy for the first time last year, recovering from two goals down against Tottenham Hotspur before winning 4-3 on penalties in Udine.
PSG are now aiming to become only the third club to retain the Super Cup, following AC Milan in 1989 and 1990 and Real Madrid in 2016 and 2017.
The French champions arrive in Austria having also successfully defended their Champions League crown last season.
After navigating a demanding knockout route, PSG faced Arsenal in the final in Budapest, where Ousmane Dembele cancelled out Kai Havertz’s opener before Les Parisiens prevailed 4-3 on penalties following a 1-1 draw.
That triumph made PSG only the second club to retain the Champions League in the modern era, following Real Madrid, who won three consecutive titles between 2016 and 2018.
Luis Enrique has now collected 12 trophies since taking charge in Paris and can make Wednesday’s Super Cup his 13th, before PSG turn their attention to the Trophee des Champions against Lens on Sunday.
The French side’s previous encounters with Aston Villa suggest another entertaining contest could be in store.
The clubs met in the 2024-25 Champions League quarter-finals, with PSG winning the first leg 3-1 in Paris before surviving a remarkable Villa comeback in Birmingham. Unai Emery’s side won the return fixture 3-2, but PSG progressed 5-4 on aggregate.
Villa responded to that European disappointment in style last season, going all the way in the Europa League.
Emery’s men defeated Lille, Bologna and Nottingham Forest during the knockout stages before producing an emphatic performance against Freiburg in Istanbul, winning the final 3-0 to lift their first major trophy since 1996.
The victory also gave Emery a record-extending fifth Europa League title, having previously won the competition three times with Sevilla and once with Villarreal.
Villa head into the new campaign having undergone significant changes, with Morgan Rogers and Youri Tielemans among the key players to leave the club.
Their squad has been reinforced by several new arrivals, including midfielder Joao Gomes, winger Alejandro Garnacho and defender Modou Keba Cisse, while Johan Manzambi has joined from Freiburg.
Today’s contest will be Villa’s first competitive outing of the new season before they begin their Premier League campaign against Brighton.
Emery will also be attempting to end his personal wait for a UEFA Super Cup. The Spaniard has finished as runner-up in all three of his previous appearances, twice with Sevilla and once with Villarreal.-beinsports
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