Aston Villa fell just short of another European trophy as Paris Saint-Germain secured a 2-1 victory in the UEFA Super Cup, but Unai Emery still left Salzburg with plenty to take from the performance.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia put PSG ahead before Brian Madjo produced a historic equaliser on the stroke of half-time. Désiré Doué eventually settled the final after the break as Villa’s push for a second response fell short.
Here are three things Villa learned from their Super Cup defeat.
Brian Madjo has given Emery a serious decision to make
Madjo could hardly have chosen a bigger occasion to announce himself.
Starting a European final against the reigning Champions League holders at just 17 would have represented a major achievement on its own. Scoring Villa’s equaliser and becoming the youngest goalscorer in UEFA Super Cup history took the evening to another level.
ReadAstonVilla covered how Brian Madjo smashed the UEFA Super Cup record with his goal against PSG moments after the teenager found the net.
This no longer feels like a youngster simply gaining useful first-team experience.
Madjo showed throughout pre-season that he could contribute goals and backed that up against elite opposition when the pressure was enormous.
Villa are still dealing with Ollie Watkins’ absence and Tammy Abraham started the final among the substitutes. Madjo has now given Emery another genuine attacking option rather than simply somebody to develop quietly in the background.
Aston Villa can compete with Europe’s very best
Losing another final will hurt, but Villa were not blown away by PSG.
Luis Enrique’s side have established themselves among Europe’s strongest teams and produced moments of outstanding individual quality. Villa still found ways to make the contest competitive.
They recovered from falling behind, entered half-time level and continued searching for another route back into the game after PSG regained their advantage.
Emery had made several brave calls beforehand, with ReadAstonVilla detailing the confirmed Aston Villa line-up against PSG before kick-off.
Madjo was trusted from the start, while Tammy Abraham remained on the bench and Marco Bizot replaced the unavailable Emiliano Martínez in goal.
Villa ultimately came up short, but competing so closely against the Champions League holders should offer encouragement ahead of another demanding season.
Fine margins remain Villa’s biggest challenge
Villa’s performance also demonstrated how unforgiving games against Europe’s best sides can be.
PSG did not need complete control of the final to win it. Kvaratskhelia punished Villa before Madjo responded, only for Doué to provide another decisive moment after the interval.
Villa had opportunities to change the direction of the match but could not produce the second response they needed.
Those margins separate very good teams from trophy-winning ones.
Emery has already transformed Villa into a side capable of competing on major European nights. Turning performances such as this into victories is the next challenge.
The result will understandably dominate the immediate reaction, but Villa should leave Salzburg with more encouragement than the scoreline alone suggests.
Madjo has announced himself, Emery’s bold selection was competitive against the European champions and another huge occasion provided valuable evidence of where Villa can still improve.
The trophy belongs to PSG, but Villa’s night was far from wasted.
