UEFA Super Cup: PSG vs Aston Villa preview, team news, line-ups and prediction

Paris Saint-Germain will look to add another European trophy to their collection when they face Europa League champions Aston Villa in the 2026 UEFA Super Cup on Wednesday.

The European champions will meet Premier League opposition once again in the traditional curtain-raiser to the new European season, with Luis Enrique’s PSG taking on Unai Emery’s Aston Villa in Salzburg.

PSG are aiming to win the UEFA Super Cup for a second consecutive year after defeating Tottenham Hotspur on penalties in last season’s edition in Udine.

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The French giants recovered from a late setback to draw 1-1 with Spurs before winning the contest on penalties. Another victory would give Luis Enrique his 13th trophy since taking charge of the club.

PSG ended last season by defeating Arsenal on penalties after a 1-1 draw to secure another Champions League title. They will now begin the new campaign with the opportunity to add more silverware before facing Lens in the Trophée des Champions and starting their Ligue 1 title defence against Rennes on August 23.

PSG have endured a mixed pre-season as they prepare for their first competitive fixture of the campaign.

Without several players who featured at the World Cup, the French champions suffered a 3-0 defeat against Mallorca before drawing 1-1 with Manchester United.

Despite their lack of match sharpness, PSG remain a major attacking threat. They have scored in 28 consecutive competitive matches since their derby defeat to Paris FC in January.

Their recent record against Aston Villa should also give them confidence. PSG edged the English side 5-4 on aggregate in a thrilling Champions League quarter-final last season on their way to lifting the trophy.

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Aston Villa will enter the UEFA Super Cup after a memorable Europa League campaign that culminated in a convincing victory over Freiburg in the final in Istanbul.

The triumph ended a 30-year wait for a major trophy, although Villa have since lost two important figures from that success, with England forward Morgan Rogers and Belgium midfielder Youri Tielemans moving on.

Unai Emery’s side have responded by bringing in several new faces, including Alejandro Garnacho, João Gomes and Swiss midfielder Johan Manzambi.

Villa have played six pre-season friendlies, recording three victories and three defeats. Their latest outing ended in a 2-1 loss to Bayern Munich on Friday.

Their competitive season will officially begin against PSG before they travel to face Brighton in their Premier League opener on August 23.

Although Emery has built a reputation as one of Europe's most successful Europa League coaches, the UEFA Super Cup has remained elusive for him.

The Spanish manager has lost all three of his previous attempts to win the trophy, including a 5-4 defeat to Luis Enrique’s Barcelona while he was in charge of Sevilla.

Aston Villa, however, have won their only previous UEFA Super Cup appearance. They defeated Barcelona 3-1 on aggregate in 1982, just months after beating Bayern Munich to win the European Cup.

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PSG: Safonov, Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Mendes, Zaïre-Emery, Vitinha, Mayulu, Akliouche, Dembélé, and Kvaratskhelia.

Aston Villa: Bizot; Cash, Lindelöf, Torres, Maatsen; Gomes, Kamara; Hemmings, Buendía, Garnacho, Abraham.

PSG’s experience in high-pressure European matches, combined with their attacking quality, could give them the edge in Salzburg.

Aston Villa are capable of causing problems and have already shown their ability to compete at the highest level in Europe under Emery. However, PSG’s greater depth and recent Champions League success make them the favourites.

Prediction: Paris Saint-Germain 2-1 Aston Villa