It's the first major international event of the new season and pits two teams against each other who have come to the match through different but equally prestigious paths. Today, Wednesday, August 12th, Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa will compete for the 2026 UEFA Super Cup., the trophy that traditionally pits the winners of the Champions League against those of the Europa League. Kick-off is set at 21 p.m., at the Red Bull Arena in Salzburg, Austria.
PSG enters as European champions and Super Cup holdersLuis Enrique's team won the 2025-26 Champions League by beating Arsenal on penalties in the final in May and are now aiming to repeat their feat with the new season's first trophy. A win would allow the French club to become only the fourth team in history to win the UEFA Super Cup back-to-back, following Ajax, Milan, and Real Madrid.
On the other side is Aston Villa, who brought a major European trophy back to Birmingham after a long wait. Unai Emery's team dominated Freiburg in the Europa League final, winning 3-0 in Istanbul, and arrives in Salzburg aiming to complete a remarkable season. The Spanish coach, a specialist in European competitions, however, faces some fitness concerns and a squad that was significantly revamped over the summer.
Probable lineups
Luis Enrique is expected to rely on Matvey Safonov in goal, with Achraf Hakimi, Marquinhos, Willian Pacho, and Nuno Mendes ahead of him. In midfield, Vitinha and João Neves are the key players, while the third man remains to be determined: Warren Zaïre-Emery is among the candidates, with Dro Fernández among the alternatives. In attack, the picture is equally open: Ousmane Dembélé and Désiré Doué are not yet considered fit, while the pre-match indications give space to Ibrahim Mbaye, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Senny Mayulu.
Villa's possible starting eleven is Bizot between the posts; Cash, Lindelöf, Pau Torres and Maatsen in defence; João Gomes and Boubacar Kamara in midfield; Buendía, Garnacho and McGinn in the attacking midfield, with Watkins as centre forward. But It is precisely the English team that has the greatest unknownsMcGinn and Watkins are still under evaluation, while Johan Manzambi and Amadou Onana are unavailable; Konsa and Martínez are also not considered fully certain.
Previous
PSG and Aston Villa have only met twice, both in the quarterfinals of the 2024-25 Champions League. The French side won 3-1 in Paris, while Villa prevailed 3-2 in the return leg in Birmingham. The two-legged tie thus ended 5-4 on aggregate in favor of PSG, who secured their place in the next round. This will be the third meeting between the two clubs, but the first with a European trophy on the line.
Curiously, the Super Cup tells an almost mirror-image story. PSG is participating for the third timeIn 1996, they lost both matches against Juventus, a crushing 9-2 on aggregate, while in 2025 they won the trophy by beating Tottenham on penalties after a 2-2 draw in regulation time. Their record is therefore one Super Cup won and one lost.
For Aston Villa it will be the second participationThe first dates back to 1982, when the English faced Barcelona in a tie played over two legs: after a 1-0 defeat at the Camp Nou, Villa won the return leg 3-0 in extra time and won the Super Cup 3-1 on aggregate. The English, therefore, also have one win and no losses in the competition.
Where to see it in Italy
The Salzburg challenge It will be broadcast in Italy by Sky Sport and will also be available for streaming on NOWKick-off is scheduled for 21pm. It will also be a special match for Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan, who will become the first non-European to take charge of a UEFA Super Cup.
The comparison therefore promises a different balance than that suggested by the roll of honor alone. PSG starts with the advantage of continuity and with a squad built to win everything againVilla, on the other hand, arrive with the excitement of their Europa League success and several new signings, including Alejandro Garnacho and João Gomes. Not only is their first continental trophy of the season at stake: PSG has the chance to join a very select club of teams capable of repeating their Super Cup success, while Aston Villa has the chance to lift a European trophy for the first time in 44 years.
