Vitinha eyes ‘tough match’ against Villa
Men
11 August 26
Vitinha is expecting a difficult challenge when Paris Saint-Germain face Aston Villa in the UEFA Super Cup.
The two teams go head-to-head for the European honour at Stadion Salzburg on Wednesday (ko 8pm BST).
The showpiece fixture pits together the 2025/26 winners of the Champions League and the Europa League, with this the 51st edition.
Midfielder Vitinha, alongside defender Marquinhos and head coach Luis Enrique, was speaking to assembled media in Austria on Tuesday during the pre-match media conference.
“We all know Aston Villa,” said the Portugal international. “It’s a new season, there’s new players, there’s players coming in, others leaving.
“It’s going to be a difficult match. It’s always difficult playing an English team, we already have proof for that and we’re going to be ready.”
It will be only the third meeting between Villa and PSG, coming just 16 months after our dramatic two-legged Champions League quarter-final in 2024/25.
The Parisians came from behind to lead 3-1 after the first leg, before establishing an early advantage in the second leg to lead 5-1 on aggregate.
But a spirited fightback from a resilient Villa on an iconic night in B6 secured a memorable 3-2 victory on home soil, despite an agonising 5-4 aggregate reverse.
“Of course, I remember that match,” added Vitinha.
“It was very tough, especially in the second half. As I said earlier, it’s going to be a tough match.
“The coach is the same and a lot of things happen within two years, but given that it’s the same coach, it’s going to be along the same lines.
“We’ll give it all to be ready tomorrow.
“We’re aware of the difficulty it’s going to be and we’re also aware of the fact that it’s a match you don’t have a lot of opportunities to play in your career.
“It’s very difficult to reach a Super Cup.
“So, we’re going to give it all in order to win tomorrow.”
Boss Enrique has guided PSG to back-to-back Champions League triumphs, part of a stunning nine-trophy haul in two years.
The French club go into Wednesday as defending Super Cup champions having triumphed over Tottenham Hotspur in a penalty shoot-out last season.
And Enrique also spoke about what he’s expecting from Villa in Salzburg.
“We need to see the pre-season,” said the Spaniard.
“There’s a lot of important players who have left and it’s difficult in a pre-season match to assess exactly the type of team that is going to play. We’ll see tomorrow.
“It’s important for all teams to win a European trophy.
“We’ll see what type of match both teams can play tomorrow.”
