PSG vs Aston Villa: UEFA Super Cup – prediction, lineups, teams
Who: Paris Saint-Germain vs Aston Villa What: UEFA Super Cup Where: Salzburg Stadium in Austria When: Wednesday, August 12 at 9pm (19:00 GMT) How to
Who: Paris Saint-Germain vs Aston Villa What: UEFA Super Cup Where: Salzburg Stadium in Austria When: Wednesday, August 12 at 9pm (19:00 GMT) How to follow: Al Jazeera will have all the build-up from 16:00 GMT. Barely three weeks after the World Cup final, the first trophy of the new European football season is up for grabs in the UEFA Super Cup between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa in Salzburg. The annual match between the most recent winners of the Champions League and Europa League offers PSG, winners of the former, the chance to become the second team in the modern era to retain the Super Cup, after Real Madrid (2016 and 2017). PSG beat Tottenham in a penalty shootout in last year’s match. Al Jazeera takes a closer look at this year’s season opener. How are PSG shaping up for the new season? PSG’s players came back to preseason training in scattered order over the off-season, largely depending on how long they played at the World Cup – or not at all in one noteworthy case. Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele, who stood out for France with six goals and two assists, returned on Monday along with international teammates Desire Doue and Bradley Barcola. They were joined by Spain’s World Cup-winning midfielder Fabian Ruiz, whose clinical performance was key to the semifinal victory against France. Star winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia did not play at the tournament because Georgia did not qualify, and has been back training for considerably longer.
He looks certain to start in his favoured 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. Coach Luis Enrique’s team may also feature former Villa player Lucas Digne. Villa sold Digne to PSG on Sunday for a reported fee of 10 million euros ($11.6m), returning the 33-year-old left back to one of his first clubs. Digne was among the first signings when PSG began its new era after being bought by Qatari investors QSI. He was born in the Paris suburbs and joined PSG in 2013 from Lille. He then represented Roma and Barcelona before spending eight years in the Premier League with Everton and Villa, where he played 182 games in total and was one of coach Unai Emery’s most consistent players. How will Unai Emery cope with losing key Villa midfielders? There will be a different look to Villa at the start of its fourth full season under Emery, a former PSG coach. Departing in the off-season were key midfielders Morgan Rogers to Chelsea and Youri Tielemans to Manchester United, along with Digne. Among the new signings are Swiss World Cup star Johan Manzambi and Brazilian midfielder Joao Gomes, who has joined from relegated Wolverhampton. Manzambi is missing because of a knee injury.
The BriefWire