Emery Chases First Super Cup Title as Aston Villa Face PSG
Unai Emery aims to secure his first-ever UEFA Super Cup trophy as Aston Villa take on Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain in Salzburg.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Unai Emery is targeting his first UEFA Super Cup title after three previous defeats.
- Aston Villa will face Paris Saint-Germain at the Red Bull Arena in Austria.
- Around 6,000 traveling Aston Villa fans are expected to attend the match.
- Villa's squad features significant changes with several key players rested after the World Cup.
Unai Emery is widely celebrated as the king of the Europa League, having secured a fifth title with Aston Villa in May following a victory over Freiburg in Istanbul that ended a 30-year trophy drought. However, the UEFA Super Cup has consistently eluded the Spanish tactician throughout his managerial career.
On Wednesday in Salzburg, Austria, Emery will make his fourth attempt to capture the trophy when Aston Villa face Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
Emery previously suffered defeats in the fixture against Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Chelsea. His first two losses came during his time with Sevilla, followed by a penalty shootout defeat against the Blues in Dublin while managing Villarreal in 2021. A thrilling 5-4 extra-time loss to a Lionel Messi-inspired Barcelona occurred in 2015, exactly a year after Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice to claim the trophy for Real Madrid.
"He was reminding me last week about losing to Chelsea. Of course, it's an opportunity. A trophy is something that can give us a special moment. To play for trophies is, as a professional, our objective."
Unai Emery
At the Red Bull Arena, facing his former club with 6,000 traveling supporters behind him, Emery has a prime opportunity to finally break his losing streak in the competition.
While pre-season fixtures and trophies like the Community Shield or Super Cup are sometimes debated as glamorous friendlies, elite managers treat them with utmost seriousness. Carlo Ancelotti holds five Super Cup titles, and Pep Guardiola boasts four, demonstrating how much historical weight these matches carry. PSG defender Marquinhos emphasized that maintaining a winning culture and collecting every available trophy remains a core priority for the French giants.
Wednesday's encounter serves as a high-stakes rematch of the 2024-25 Champions League quarter-final. After trailing 3-1 from the first leg at the Parc des Princes and falling 5-1 on aggregate, Villa mounted a remarkable comeback in Birmingham to win 3-2 on the night, ultimately bowing out 5-4 on aggregate. That resilient performance solidified the belief that Emery had elevated Villa into Europe's elite tier, leaving PSG midfielder Vitinha wary of their ongoing threat.
Aston Villa's lineup will look drastically different in Austria, exactly 484 days since that memorable European clash. Key departures include Morgan Rogers, Lucas Digne, and Youri Tielemans, while Amadou Onana remains sidelined with an injury. Furthermore, Emi Martinez, Ezri Konsa, and Ollie Watkins were granted a month-long break following World Cup duty, meaning only four of the starters from that night are expected to feature.
Source: BBC Sport
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