Barely three weeks after the World Cup final, the first trophy of the new European soccer season is up for grabs in the UEFA Super Cup between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa in Salzburg on Wednesday. The annual match between the most recent winners of the Champions League and Europa League also offers another chance for more grandstanding by UEFA at the expense of FIFA at a time of a growing disconnect between the two powerful soccer governing bodies in light of the recent conduct of Gianni Infantino.
Key Factors
Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembélé, who stood out for France with six goals and two assists, returned on Monday along with international teammates Désiré Doué and Bradley Barcola. They were joined by Spain’s World Cup-winning midfielder Fabián Ruiz, whose clinical performance was key to the semifinal victory against France. He looks certain to start in his favored position on the left flank, with new signing Maghnes Akliouche possibly on the right wing. Akliouche’s arrival from Monaco could coincide with Barcola’s departure, with the fleet-footed winger — who scored three goals at the World Cup — heavily linked with a move to Premier League giant Liverpool. Among the new signings are Swiss World Cup star Johan Manzambi and Brazilian midfielder Joao Gomes, who has joined from relegated Wolverhampton.
Because georgia did not qualify, and has been back training for considerably longer, star winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia didn’t play at the tournament. Because of a knee injury, manzambi is missing. And so, the referee taking charge of the match is proving to be as interesting as the players involved, as PSG looks to become the second team in the modern era to retain the Super Cup, after Real Madrid (2016 and 2017). Villa won the Europa League by beating Freiburg 3-0 and in the final will be in the Champions League for the second time under Emery.
PSG beat Tottenham in a penalty shootout in last year’s match.
