PSG and Tottenham experienced contrasting seasons last year. The French side made history with a quadruple, while Tottenham won the Europa League but finished 17th in the Premier League, leading to the dismissal of manager Ange Postecoglou.
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PSG and Tottenham meet for the first time in a cup final. Photo: Sony LIV |
PSG and Tottenham meet for the first time in a cup final. Photo: Sony LIV
PSG’s quadruple-winning season will be remembered for years to come. Luis Enrique’s team won Ligue 1, the French Cup, the French Super Cup, and, most notably, their first Champions League title. This success is the culmination of almost 15 years of heavy investment by the Qatari owners.
En route to European glory, PSG eliminated four English teams: Man City, Liverpool, Aston Villa, and Arsenal. They then demolished Inter 5-0 in Munich, setting a record for the largest winning margin in a Champions League final.
Their success stems from a high-tempo, dynamic attacking style, spearheaded by Ousmane Dembele and rising star Desire Doue. PSG has retained most of last season's squad, with the main change being in goal, where Lucas Chevalier from Lille replaces Gianluigi Donnarumma.
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The UEFA Super Cup trophy and ball are displayed in Piazza Matteotti, Udine, Italy, before the match. Photo: UEFA |
The UEFA Super Cup trophy and ball are displayed in Piazza Matteotti, Udine, Italy, before the match. Photo: UEFA
Tottenham's story is quite different. After ending a 17-year trophy drought with the Europa League title, Postecoglou was sacked. Thomas Frank was appointed from Brentford as his replacement.
This summer, they parted ways with captain Son Heung-min, bringing in Mohammed Kudus from West Ham, signing Mathys Tel permanently, and loaning Joao Palhinha from Bayern. These new additions offer attacking options and squad depth, but integrating them quickly is a significant challenge for Frank.
PSG will be without midfielder Joao Neves due to suspension from the FIFA Club World Cup, but otherwise have a full-strength squad. Their 3-0 defeat to Chelsea in the Club World Cup final showed that Enrique’s side is not invincible.
Tottenham has more significant injury concerns. Midfielder James Maddison is out with a torn ACL. Dejan Kulusevski and Radu Dragusin remain long-term absentees, while Udogie is a doubt. Striker Dominic Solanke has just recovered from injury and may not be at peak fitness.
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Tottenham lift the Europa League trophy at San Mames stadium, Bilbao, Basque Country, Spain, on 21/5/2025. Photo: Reuters |
Tottenham lift the Europa League trophy at San Mames stadium, Bilbao, Basque Country, Spain, on 21/5/2025. Photo: Reuters
Enrique called the Super Cup "a special match between champions" and insisted PSG would give their all despite the short preparation period. Dembele, a 2025 Ballon d'Or contender, sees it as "an important start" to maintain their winning momentum.
Frank emphasized that Tottenham "doesn't see this as a test, but as a match between two strong teams." His goal is to win his first competitive game in charge.
History favors the Champions League winners in the UEFA Super Cup. They have won 29 out of 49 times (59%). Upsets can happen, but English sports website Sportsmole predicts a comfortable 3-0 win for PSG.
PSG has never won this trophy. Their last Super Cup appearance was in 1996, a 9-2 aggregate loss to Juventus when the competition was played over two legs.
This is Tottenham’s first Super Cup. Amidst transition and missing key players, they will need a perfect performance to cause an upset. Otherwise, PSG is likely to start the season with their fifth trophy of 2025.
Hoang An
