Things To Know As PSG Face Aston Villa In UEFA Super Cup

Salzburg’s Red Bull Arena will host the 2026 UEFA Super Cup as Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain take on Europa League holders Aston Villa.

PSG are appearing in the Super Cup for the second successive year after securing consecutive Champions League titles. Following their 5–0 victory over Inter Milan in last year’s final, Luis Enrique’s side were forced to a penalty shootout against Tottenham Hotspur in the Super Cup after trailing 2–0 as late as the 85th minute.

The Parisians eventually prevailed on penalties and will now look to overcome another Premier League side with a trophy at stake.

PSG were given a stern test by Villa during their run to European glory in 2025, narrowly advancing 5–4 on aggregate after an entertaining quarter-final tie against Unai Emery’s side.

The European champions could enter Wednesday’s fixture lacking match sharpness, with several key players only recently returning from extended World Cup runs. Villa, meanwhile, have faced midfield setbacks due to injuries and transfers but have enjoyed a much more active pre-season.

PSG vs Aston Villa Prediction

Parisians Look To Overcome Lack Of Match Practice

PSG faced a similar situation ahead of last year’s Super Cup, when they struggled against Tottenham before recovering from two goals down to force penalties and claim the trophy.

Several players have only recently returned to pre-season training, while PSG have played just two matches this summer. They suffered a 3–0 defeat to Mallorca before drawing 1–1 with Manchester United.

Villa, by contrast, have played six friendly matches and also completed a tour of the Far East. Emery’s team suffered defeats against Porto, Real Sociedad and Bayern Munich in some of their notable pre-season fixtures.

Neither side is likely to be at full strength or operating at peak performance in Salzburg, which could make for a scrappy but unpredictable Super Cup encounter.

Villa’s summer defensive concerns: Villa were barely troubled by Freiburg in the Europa League final, but their defensive record has raised questions during pre-season. Emery has had to cope with the absence of several first-team players, while Villa have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last five friendlies, including a 4–0 defeat to Real Sociedad on July 28.

PSG rust: Villa may not be at their best, but they have at least had six pre-season games to build rhythm. PSG have played only twice, with their key players gradually returning. It may take time for the back-to-back European champions to rediscover their rhythm, although Enrique’s tactical principles should help them regain their fluency in Salzburg.

Read Also: Aston Villa Agree Loan Deal For Chelsea’s Alejandro Garnacho

Prediction: PSG 3–2 Aston Villa

PSG Predicted Lineup vs Aston Villa

Enrique’s squad for the Super Cup features a host of PSG stars. Although several players have returned from their post-World Cup breaks in time for the game, some are unlikely to be handed starting roles on Wednesday.

Fabián Ruiz, Ousmane Dembélé, Désiré Doué, Warren Zaïre-Emery, Lucas Hernández and Achraf Hakimi are yet to feature during pre-season. João Neves, Nuno Mendes, Vitinha and Marquinhos have made only one appearance each.

PSG have no injury concerns, while Enrique has included Bradley Barcola in the travelling squad despite reported interest from Liverpool.

Fans could also see new signing Maghnes Akliouche and returning player Lucas Digne in action.

PSG predicted lineup vs Aston Villa (4-3-3): Safonov; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Mendes; Vitinha, Neves, Fernández; Mbaye, Mayulu, Kvaratskhelia.

Aston Villa Predicted Lineup vs PSG

A total of 23 players are travelling to Salzburg, including new arrivals Alejandro Garnacho and João Gomes.

Another new signing, Swiss international Johan Manzambi, has yet to recover from a knee injury sustained during the World Cup.

Leon Bailey is unavailable due to a muscle injury, while Amadou Onana remains sidelined after suffering an ACL tear.

Boubacar Kamara is expected to partner new signing Gomes in midfield following Youri Tielemans’ move to Manchester United. Kamara has been out since January after suffering a PCL injury.

Emery must also decide whether first-choice goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez is ready to start after only recently returning to pre-season training. If Martínez is unavailable, Marco Bizot is expected to start.

Aston Villa predicted lineup vs PSG (4-2-3-1): Bizot; Cash, Lindelof, Torres, Maatsen; Gomes, Kamara; McGinn, Buendia, Garnacho; Abraham.

Match Details

Location: Salzburg, Austria

Stadium: Red Bull Arena

Date: Wednesday, August 12

Kickoff: 8 p.m. BST / 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT

Referee: Omar Abdulkadir Artan (SOM)

VAR: Marco Di Bello (ITA)