Paris Saint-Germain 2-1 Aston Villa

Aston Villa pushed Paris Saint-Germain all the way before falling to a narrow 2-1 defeat in the UEFA Super Cup.

Brian Madjo, 17, rewarded Unai Emery’s faith by becoming the youngest player to start and score in the showpiece occasion at Stadion Salzburg.

The lively teenage striker went close on four occasions before finding the net on the stroke of half-time courtesy of a well-taken volleyed finish from close range.

His leveller, just reward after Villa enjoyed 10 attempts on goal during the first half, cancelled out Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s powerful strike into the top corner.

Yet PSG regained their advantage in the 61^st minute when Desire Doue broke clear and found the net, with Villa’s defence momentarily pausing before an offside flag was subsequently raised, only for a VAR review to deem the Frenchman onside.  

George Hemmings and João Gomes each came agonisingly close to an equaliser, only for the Parisians to run out victors in the 51^st edition of the prestigious European honour in Austria.

It was a tough defeat for a battling Villa in what was an enthralling encounter between last season’s respective Europa League and Champions League winners, with Paris Saint-Germain going on to lift the Super Cup trophy.

Captain John McGinn was named in Villa’s starting line-up having hobbled out of our pre-season victory over BG Pathum United on the club’s recent pre-season tour of Asia.

He was joined in midfield by fit-again Boubacar Kamara, who made his long-awaited return in Bangkok, as well Academy graduate Hemmings and fellow impressive teenager Madjo.

Following a rare solar eclipse witnessed by fans in attendance, both teams emerged from the tunnel with their respective trophies for the pre-match ceremony, with the Super Cup silverware taking centre stage.

Villa started the encounter strongly, Kamara firing a low strike off target from distance in the 13^th minute.

But it was the Parisians who struck first to gain the upper hand, with the opener coming moments after Marco Bizot had made a smart reflex save to keep out Doue’s deflected effort.

PSG came again at Villa’s defence and Kvaratskhelia cut in on the right side of Villa’s penalty area before firing a powerful strike into the near top corner beyond Bizot.

The French side were threatening again and Nuno Mendes fired a teasing ball across the box before, at the other end, Madjo headed wide McGinn’s cross from a central position 10 yards out.

Madjo flashed another strike across goal in the 35^th minute as the Villans looked for a leveller, before the forward headed off target from close range courtesy of another McGinn cross.

Kamara tested PSG ‘keeper Matvei Safonov as Villa turned the screw prior to half-time, Madjo yet again going close as he turned his marker only to fire against the outside of the base of a post.

The Villans were playing some free-flowing attacking football and got their deserved reward in the 45^th minute.

From another excellent McGinn right-wing cross, Madjo managed to find space at the back post to convert a superbly-taken left-footed volley into the roof of the net from six yards.   

McGinn’s curling effort forced a diving save from Safonov shortly after the restart, while Emi Buendía sent a glancing header over the crossbar just before the hour mark.

Yet Paris Saint-Germain regained their lead in the 61^st minute after Doue broke clear, with Villa’s defence briefly stopping in expectation an offside call, before the French forward curled into the far corner.

The assistant raised his flag, but a VAR review duly deemed there to be no offside as the goal was awarded.

Villa, however, immediately created another opening as Hemmings, in space inside the area, was foiled by Safonov.

Gomes then saw his goalbound effort blocked by a lunging PSG defence as the Villans pushed for an equaliser.

But, having lifted our first major European honour for 44 years in Istanbul 84 days ago, Emery’s side fell agonisingly just short in their bid to repeat the heroics of Villa’s 1983 squad in the club’s second-ever appearance in the Super Cup.