Luis Enrique has always made one thing clear: regardless of whether he is playing football, tennis, padel or even parchis, winning remains the objective. That mentality has become deeply embedded at Paris Saint-Germain, who continued their remarkable run of success by overcoming Aston Villa in a gripping Super Cup encounter in Salzburg.

Having lifted the Champions League in Munich and Budapest, PSG now have another opportunity to extend their dominance. With another European campaign approaching, the possibility of completing a third consecutive Champions League triumph in Madrid next May is already beginning to emerge.

Villa, however, refused to simply play the role of supporting cast. Their energetic performance pushed the French champions throughout the contest, with 17-year-old Brian Madjo making history as the youngest player to score in the competition. His equaliser cancelled out Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s early strike and gave Unai Emery’s side genuine belief that they could force penalties.

That possibility remained alive until the closing stages. Warren Zaïre-Emery produced a remarkable defensive intervention to deny João Gomes what appeared almost certain to be a debut goal, while Emi Buendía sent a late header narrowly off target during stoppage time.

Doué Decides After VAR Intervention

Villa ultimately had to settle for defeat after Désiré Doué produced the decisive moment. His finish was initially ruled out for offside, but a VAR review changed the decision.

Somali referee Omar Artan had been appointed by Uefa for the match after previously being refused entry to the United States to officiate at the World Cup. Replays showed that Matty Cash had remained in a position that played Doué onside, allowing the goal to stand and handing PSG the trophy.

For Villa, the result offered considerably more encouragement than disappointment. Their performance suggested that the extensive changes made during the summer could provide the foundation for an exciting season.

The atmosphere before kick-off underlined the confidence surrounding Emery’s team. Around 6,000 Villa supporters turned the occasion into a continuation of the celebrations following their victory in Istanbul. The travelling fans erupted when Emery appeared on the giant screens in the stadium, while new signing João Gomes, who arrived for £38m, received another huge reception.

Madjo also attracted plenty of attention. The powerful forward was making his first full appearance for Villa, and his presence offered a warning to Tammy Abraham, who joined the club seven months ago for £18.25m but has yet to produce the expected return.

Madjo Makes His Mark

Emery had admitted before the match that his team would not be at their strongest. Yet the manager could hardly have asked for a more encouraging response from his young players.

Madjo was finally able to feature in a competitive fixture after arriving from Metz for £10m in January. Villa had been forced to fight for permission to register him after Fifa initially prevented him from playing, but the club eventually won their case at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

The teenager entered the match in excellent pre-season form. Only Chelsea’s João Pedro had scored more among Premier League players during the build-up to the campaign, while Madjo had already found the net against Walsall, Real Sociedad and Indonesia All Stars.

His goal against PSG represented a significant step up in quality and occasion. Madjo regularly occupied the attention of Willian Pacho and Marquinhos, two highly experienced defenders, while 19-year-old George Hemmings completed the entire match and gave Achraf Hakimi plenty to think about.

Villa’s starting XI was considerably different from the side that defeated Freiburg, with only five players retaining their places. Emi Martínez, Ezri Konsa and Ollie Watkins were still enjoying their holidays, while Emery had encouraged Watkins to take additional rest despite the striker offering to play.

Boubacar Kamara also made his first start since suffering a serious knee injury against Tottenham in January. Villa are continuing to reshape their squad, with negotiations advanced over a potential move for Bayern Munich midfielder João Palhinha. Atlético Madrid defender Matteo Ruggeri was also expected to undergo a medical within the following 48 hours.

Despite the changes, Emery remained satisfied with the direction of the project.

“We can be proud of everything we have achieved,” the Villa manager said, while acknowledging that further adjustments would be required. He added that the club remained confident about what lies ahead.

Kvaratskhelia Gives PSG the Early Advantage

PSG needed only 20 minutes to break the deadlock, with Kvaratskhelia providing the moment of individual quality.

The Georgian attacker, who had enjoyed the summer away from international commitments, benefited when Madjo struggled to bring the ball under control. Vitinha pounced on the loose possession before finding Doué, who then helped create the opening for Kvaratskhelia.

The PSG forward moved inside from the right, leaving Cash behind before driving a powerful effort toward the near post. Marco Bizot was unable to prevent the shot from finding the net.

PSG nearly doubled their advantage shortly afterwards. Kvaratskhelia was again involved, this time producing a clever pass over the Villa defence for Nuno Mendes. The full-back reached the ball and sent a low delivery across the area, but Maghnes Akliouche and three other PSG players were unable to make contact.

Akliouche, who arrived during the summer for £43m, was among those left frustrated as the opportunity disappeared.

Madjo Responds Before the Break

Madjo had already wasted several opportunities before finally finding the breakthrough for Villa.

John McGinn repeatedly supplied dangerous deliveries, giving the teenager several chances to test PSG’s defence. One headed effort went astray, and Madjo was shown a replay of the miss on the stadium screens.

His next opportunity came after Hemmings had managed to beat Hakimi. Madjo attempted to guide his shot toward the far corner but sent it off target. Another chance followed when McGinn escaped Kvaratskhelia and delivered again, only for Madjo to fail to direct his header properly.

The forward eventually made amends just before half-time.

McGinn produced another excellent cross, this time finding Madjo at the back post. The youngster held off Pacho, who attempted to prevent him from reaching the ball, and connected with a controlled volley that flew into the roof of Matvey Safonov’s goal.

It was an emphatic response after a series of missed opportunities and gave Villa a deserved equaliser going into the interval.

Doué Restores PSG’s Lead

PSG introduced Ousmane Dembélé for Akliouche at half-time, while Fabián Ruiz later joined the action. Ruiz was the only other player absent from the PSG XI that had started their Champions League final victory over Arsenal in Budapest in May.

Villa continued to attack with purpose after the restart. McGinn again tested Safonov after Madjo had created space and released the ball, suggesting that Emery’s side still had the momentum to cause serious problems.

Instead, PSG found the decisive opening shortly after the hour mark.

Dembélé played a penetrating pass into the right-hand channel, exploiting a Villa defensive line that had failed to maintain its shape. Ian Maatsen and Pau Torres immediately appealed for offside as Doué finished the move, and the assistant referee initially ruled against PSG.

The semi-automated offside system, however, identified Cash as the player keeping Doué onside. After the review, the decision was overturned and PSG were back in front.

Villa Push Until the Final Whistle

Emery’s team refused to surrender after falling behind again.

Zaïre-Emery delivered one of PSG’s most important defensive moments when he slid across the pitch to block Gomes and prevent what looked like a clear opportunity. Safonov was also forced into action, saving a close-range effort from Hemmings as Villa searched for another equaliser.

The visitors nearly created one final opening through their substitutes. Alysson and Abraham combined in a move that had the potential to produce a late leveller, but Abraham failed to make the necessary run inside the penalty area, leaving Emery visibly frustrated.

Villa ultimately left Salzburg without the trophy, yet their performance offered plenty for Emery to build on. The emergence of Madjo, the contribution of their younger players and the willingness to challenge the reigning European champions all pointed toward a side capable of surprising opponents again.

As McGinn suggested earlier in the week, Villa may once more be preparing to prove their doubters wrong.