Doue's desire lifts PSG to Super Cup
Desire Doue took centre stage with a goal and an assist as Paris Saint-Germain defeated Aston Villa 2-1 to win the Super Cup.
The Champions League holder was issued a stern test by last season's Europa League winners, though, with 17-year-old striker Brian Madjo proving a thorn in PSG's side throughout the match in Salzburg.
Doue was the provider for Khvicha Kvaratskhelia's opener, but Madjo – who Villa signed from Metz in January but could only register after winning an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) last month – missed a plethora of chances before equalising on the stroke of half-time.
However, Doue's composed 61st-minute finish inside the far post ensured PSG became only the fourth team to retain the Super Cup, and the first since Real Madrid in 2017.
Neither team had a real sight of goal until the 20th minute, when Marco Bizot – standing in for absent Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez – beat Doue's strike away.
But only 12 seconds later, Bizot was picking the ball out of his net. Madjo lost possession and PSG immediately started another attack, with Kvaratskhelia taking in Doue's pass before wrong-footing the Villa goalkeeper with his powerful near-post finish.
Madjo had his first chance to atone for his role in PSG's goal when he nodded John McGinn's cross wide, and he then failed to get enough bend on a shot from the left side of the area.
Chances continued to fall to Madjo, who miscued another close-range header and prodded into the side netting, before he took his most difficult opportunity yet in the 45th minute.
While falling at the far post under pressure from Willian Pacho, he brilliantly diverted McGinn's delivery into the roof of the net.
Matvey Safonov palmed McGinn's curler to safety as Villa continued to offer a threat early in the second half, but PSG went back in front via Doue's curling left-footed finish, which was initially chalked off before a VAR review found Matty Cash had played him onside.
George Hemmings could have become Villa's second teenage scorer when he shot straight at Safonov following some neat foot footwork, before Nuno Mendes saw a long-range piledriver parried by Bizot and promptly went down with cramp.
Ousmane Dembele, who had been introduced at half-time, lashed a wild volley over the crossbar when presented with a chance to make the result safe, but PSG held firm regardless as Emiliano Buendia passed up Villa's final opening.
