August 11 – Paris Saint-Germain will face Aston Villa in Wednesday’s UEFA Super Cup in Salzburg, as the annual European curtain-raiser returns, and the first opportunity of silverware along with it.
The yearly summer meeting between the Champions League and Europa League winners brings together a PSG side chasing another trophy after back-to-back European titles and a Villa team attempting to land one of the biggest prizes of Unai Emery’s reign against the best side in world football.
PSG retained the Champions League in May after edging Arsenal 4-3 on penalties following a 1-1 draw in Budapest, reinforcing their position at the head of the European game.
Villa arrive after a similarly impressive continental campaign, crowned by a 3-0 Europa League final victory over Freiburg.
The timing of the Super Cup may offer Villa an advantage.
A key portion of PSG’s title-winning squad, namely Ballon d’Or holder Ousmane Dembélé, Fabián Ruiz and Achraf Hakimi, have only recently returned from the World Cup and consequential holiday period, leaving Luis Enrique with a selection headache over how heavily to lean on players short of preparation.
PSG’s underlying approach is unlikely to change – with Vitinha expected to retain his role as the organiser at the base of midfield, João Neves providing the energy around him and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia giving the French champions a constant threat from the left after an entire summer of rest and recovery.
Villa have had rebuilding to do this summer.
Morgan Rogers departed for Chelsea in a €137 million transfer, Youri Tielemans joined Manchester United and Amadou Onana will be sidelined until the new year with a long-term ACL injury.
New signing Alejandro Garnacho will be charged with filling the attacking gap, while midfield additions Johan Manzambi and João Gomes give Emery like-for-like – if unproven – replacements.
There is also an immediate reunion for Lucas Digne, who moved from Villa to PSG this summer and could now face his former club in his first European showpiece of the season.
Should the scores be level after 90 minutes, there will be no extra time, with the trophy decided immediately by penalties.
Referee Omar Artan will become the first non-European official to take charge of the UEFA Super Cup – an appointment that comes in the wake of a difficult summer for the Somalian. His World Cup ended before it had started when he was refused entry to the United States despite being selected as part of FIFA’s refereeing team.
Artan, named African football’s referee of the year, has since been handed one of UEFA’s highest-profile early-season appointments.
“When we got this call it was, for me and my family, really a very, very happy moment. There’s a big Somali community in Europe and in Austria and they are over the moon with me officiating a match like this. I believe that if I can succeed, anyone can. Don’t ever stop dreaming,” he told UEFA.
Reflecting on his World Cup disappointment, Artan added: “It was a very tough period. A lot of people have sympathy for me, because when someone has been working a lot of years and is supposed to do something, and then can’t do it, it’s very challenging.”
His appointment gives an already important fixture another layer. Tune in for the tie at 20:00 BST on Wednesday.
- Harry Ewing,
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