PSG vs Tottenham – Super Cup Glory on the Line in Udine

Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham Hotspur will kick off the new European football season.

The Paris and London sides go head-to-head tonight at the Stadio Friuli in Udine in the UEFA Super Cup clash.

The Champions League holders are the bookies’ favourites, but the Europa League winners have plenty of weapons to spring a surprise and are a team that likes to play on the counter.

History Makers in Quest for Redemption

For PSG, this is also a chance to bounce back from their Club World Cup final defeat to Chelsea, in which they were also favoured.

“It’s very different preparing for a season after a World Cup. We had to take a three-week break. I’m not sure what level of performance we can deliver. It will be tough — Tottenham have changed their manager and brought in new players. I don’t know exactly what kind of game they’re planning,” PSG boss Luis Enrique said ahead of the match.

The build-up has also been dominated by the departure of first-choice goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.

“These are always difficult decisions. Gigio is undoubtedly one of the best in the world and a great person. But we’re looking for a different type of goalkeeper. This is my decision, and the club supports it,” Enrique explained.

Last season’s historic Champions League triumph has only increased PSG’s hunger.

“What we achieved last season was a dream for the fans, the club, and the players. We want to keep making history. Our goal is a second Champions League. Nobody believed we could win it the first time, and we proved them wrong. Winning another will be even harder, but it’s a dream we’re happy to chase,” said the Spaniard.

Spurs are not Losers Anymore

Tottenham, meanwhile, lifted their first international trophy in 41 years last season by beating Manchester United in the Europa League final.

Despite that success, Ange Postecoglou departed, with Danish coach Thomas Frank arriving from Brentford.

“We’re playing in a final; it’s fantastic. Hopefully we can use some of the experience we have from the last final that the team played against Manchester United.

Paris are the best team in Europe. They won the treble and it looks like they are extremely strong in all 11 starting positions. It’s a fantastic challenge to have in the first game but, of course, we believe in ourselves. We don’t see it as a test; we see it as two good teams against each other, and we want to win,” said Frank ahead of tonight’s final.

Hot stat: Only eight of the previous 25 Super Cup finals have been won by the Europa League side. The last time the Champions League winners lost was back in 2018, when Atlético Madrid stunned Real Madrid 4-2.

The North London club also bid farewell to club legend Son Heung-min, who left after a decade of service.

Spurs will be without Dejan Kulusevski, James Maddison, Radu Drăgușin and Manor Solomon, while Dominic Solanke remains a major doubt.

“We want to perform well tonight — the feeling of winning a European trophy is incredible. Football is about winning and losing, and it’s not always easy to find the formula to win. We just have to believe and follow the manager’s instructions. We fully trust Thomas (Frank) and the way we can improve as a team,” said Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario.

The only previous meeting between the two clubs was a friendly on 23 July 2017 in Orlando, with Spurs winning 4-2.

Kick-off at the Stadio Friuli is at 21:00 CET — and with both sides boasting attacking firepower, this could be a Super Cup classic.

If the scores are level after normal time, the match will go straight to a penalty shoot-out. No extra time will be played.

Predicted starting line-ups

Paris: Chevalier; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Nuno Mendes; Zaïre-Emery, Vitinha, Fabián Ruiz; Doué, Dembélé, Kvaratskhelia

Suspended: João Neves

Tottenham: Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Spence; Bentancur, Palhinha; Kudus, Sarr, Odobert; Solanke

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