Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa meet in Salzburg on Wednesday evening with the first major piece of European silverware of the 2026-27 season at stake.

Champions League holders PSG are attempting to win the UEFA Super Cup for the second successive year, while Villa arrive as Europa League champions following their emphatic victory over Freiburg in Istanbul. The clubs produced a memorable Champions League quarter-final when they met two seasons ago, and another high-quality contest should be in store at the Red Bull Arena.

For Luis Enrique, victory would add yet another trophy to an extraordinary spell in Paris. Unai Emery, meanwhile, has the opportunity to deliver more European silverware to Villa after ending the club’s 30-year wait for a major trophy last season.

PSG begin another hunt for silverware

Winning trophies has become routine for Luis Enrique’s PSG, but there has been little indication that their appetite is diminishing.

Last season ended with another Champions League triumph as PSG overcame Arsenal on penalties following a 1-1 draw. It took Luis Enrique’s haul to 12 trophies since arriving in Paris and secured another opportunity to contest the Super Cup after beating Tottenham in last year’s edition.

Preparation for Wednesday has been less straightforward. Several players returned late following the World Cup, contributing to a disjointed pre-season that began with a 3-0 defeat to Mallorca before a 1-1 draw against Manchester United. Match sharpness may therefore be a greater concern than quality.

The squad has also changed. Gonçalo Ramos, Randal Kolo Muani and Lee Kang-in have departed, while Maghnes Akliouche is among the notable additions. Former Villa defender Lucas Digne has also joined the European champions.

Luis Enrique should have more of his established stars available in Salzburg. Ousmane Dembélé, Désiré Doué, Fabián Ruiz, Achraf Hakimi and Warren Zaïre-Emery are among those pushing for involvement, while Vitinha, Nuno Mendes, João Neves and Marquinhos have already returned to action.

PSG’s attacking consistency remains formidable. They have scored in 28 consecutive competitive matches, and their previous meetings with Villa suggest Wednesday’s opponents will not be able to simply sit back and contain them.

Villa return to the European stage as champions

Aston Villa’s previous encounter with PSG ended in Champions League elimination, but they responded by returning to Europe and going all the way in the Europa League.

Their victory over Freiburg in Istanbul secured the club’s first major trophy in three decades and added another chapter to Emery’s remarkable record in the competition.

This summer has brought significant change at Villa Park. Morgan Rogers and Youri Tielemans have both moved on after playing important roles in last season’s success, while Alejandro Garnacho, João Gomes and Johan Manzambi have arrived as part of the rebuild.

Garnacho and Gomes could make their competitive debuts on Wednesday, but Manzambi is unavailable with a knee injury. Amadou Onana is also sidelined, while John McGinn is a doubt after being forced off during a pre-season friendly. Ezri Konsa, Ollie Watkins and Emiliano Martínez are absent as well.

Boubacar Kamara’s return provides a significant boost after a lengthy spell out, while youngster Brian Madjo has forced himself into contention by scoring four times during pre-season.

Villa have experienced mixed results across six summer friendlies, including a 2-1 defeat to Bayern Munich last time out, but Emery’s teams have repeatedly demonstrated their ability to perform when European silverware is on the line.

Verdict

Villa have the quality and tactical discipline to cause PSG problems, as they demonstrated during their previous Champions League meetings, but their summer rebuild and list of absentees make this a particularly demanding assignment.

PSG may also be short of peak match fitness following the World Cup, yet Luis Enrique can call upon greater depth and a squad accustomed to delivering in major European matches.

The Champions League winners have claimed each of the last seven editions of the Super Cup, and PSG look well placed to extend that sequence and become only the fourth club to successfully retain the trophy.

Tip

Paris Saint-Germain to win.