UEFA Super Cup: Villa star breaks 30-year Barcelona legend's record but PSG reign supreme

Paris Saint-Germain beat Aston Villa 2-1 at the Red Bull Arena, Salzburg, Austria, thanks to strikes from their dynamic wingers, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Desire Doué.

The Georgian winger opened the scoring with an audacious strike in the 20th minute, before Brian Madjo made history by becoming the youngest player to start and score in a UEFA Super Cup clash (17y, 212d), breaking Patrick Kluivert's 30-year record (19y, 220d), according to Opta.

However, PSG eventually found the winner after Desire Doué exploited Aston Villa's high line before bending one beyond Marco Bizot on the hour mark.

The Birmingham-based club had multiple opportunities to force extra time, but PSG held on to secure consecutive UEFA Super Cup titles after beating Tottenham in last year's edition.

The annual European curtain-raiser started with PSG asserting their dominance and taking early control of possession.

The French giants drew first blood through Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. The winger latched onto a sharp pass from Désiré Doué inside the penalty area, executing a quick cut before blasting a powerful shot past Bizot to make it 1-0.

Despite PSG controlling the tempo, Unai Emery's side remained dangerous on the counter. Right on the stroke of halftime, they found an equaliser through 17-year-old striker Brian Madjo. 

Making his competitive debut just days after being cleared by FIFA to play, Madjo delivered a stunning first-time volley to level the match at 1-1, capping off a remarkable personal milestone.

Aston Villa refused to back down in the second half, continually finding their way into the final third and ultimately outshooting PSG 15 to 12 on the night. However, it was a moment of pure French brilliance that decided the tie.

 Ousmane Dembélé threaded a perfectly weighted through ball to his national teammate Désiré Doué. Doué dashed past the Villa defence and nailed a left-footed strike into the side netting. The goal was initially flagged for offside, but a quick VAR review confirmed the goal, securing PSG's 2-1 advantage.

The match also featured a notable subplot involving the referee. Somali official Omar Abdulkadir Artan, who was recently at the centre of a geopolitical controversy after being denied entry to the U.S. to officiate at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, was appointed by UEFA for this marquee fixture, and he had an authoritative outing, dishing out three yellow cards.

With the victory, Paris Saint-Germain made history as only the third club to ever retain the UEFA Super Cup, joining the elite company of Real Madrid (2016, 2017) and AC Milan (1989, 1990).