Champions League winners PSG and Europa League champions Aston Villa clash on Tuesday evening for the European Super Cup. It will be a rematch of the Champions League quarterfinal and a duel between two Spanish tacticians on the sidelines.
The new season gets its first major trophy. On Wednesday, August 12, 2026, at 9 PM, Paris Saint-Germain, the reigning champions of Europe, and Aston Villa, the Europa League winners, will face off. The match also promises an intriguing tactical battle between two Spanish coaches, Luis Enrique and Unai Emery, who have already met in the knockout stages of the Champions League.
For Unai Emery, this is his fourth appearance in the European Super Cup, but his previous experiences have not been happy ones. The Aston Villa manager has lost all three prior appearances, two with Sevilla and one with Villarreal. He is aware of the magnitude of the challenge ahead of his team but believes the club has stepped into a new era.
"I have a feeling that the club is in a new era, where it is possible to compete for trophies. We are playing against PSG, the best team in the world. We will enjoy this match because this is history for us," Emery said ahead of the trip to Austria, according to HRT Sport.
Polish international and Aston Villa right-back Matty Cash does not hide his respect for the opponent, nor his team's ambition. "We are facing a fantastic team that is currently, in my opinion, by far the best in the world. I hope we can give them a good game," Cash told the club's official website.
Cash highlighted that the match represents the culmination of hard work from last season. "This is huge. The manager has mentioned it in the past few days; the season is over, but you still have the Super Cup, which is the finish to the job you did last season."
He also recalled the Champions League quarterfinal from the 2024/2025 season, where PSG advanced with a 5-4 aggregate, but Villa showed their teeth at Villa Park. "When we played them in the Champions League, we gave them a good fight. It was a great night at Villa Park, and I hope we can bring as many fans as possible to Austria and give them a tough time again."
On the other side, Luis Enrique does not hide his desire for another trophy. His PSG defended their European title in May 2026 by beating Arsenal on penalties in the final, and now he wants to start the season on a winning note. Enrique is aware that his team carries the favorite's tag, but also that the opponent should not be underestimated.
"There is no doubt that the Super Cup is an important trophy and that Villa will be very competitive. I have a constant obsession with trying to improve. In the new season, we have a unique challenge, something practically never seen in European football, and that is to string together three consecutive Champions League titles," Enrique emphasized for HRT Sport.
Interestingly, sources differ on the exact location of the match. HRT Sport states that the match will be played in Salzburg, while Goal.com reports that the Red Bull Arena in Leipzig will host the game.
The match will also be special due to a quick reunion with a former player. Lucas Digne, until recently Aston Villa's left-back, has just returned to PSG after his buyout clause was activated, so he will have the opportunity to play against his former teammates right at the start of the season.
Aston Villa enters this match after winning the Europa League last season with a convincing 3-0 victory over Freiburg, which was the first European trophy for the Birmingham club in 44 years. This is also Villa's second appearance in the UEFA Super Cup. Now, under Emery's leadership, they want to continue their success and prove they belong at the very top of European football.
"Since the manager came in, he has instilled in us what it means to win and what it takes to win. We have set the bar high, and that is what everyone wants," Cash concluded.
