Unai Emery has built a reputation as the undisputed Europa League king, but the UEFA Super Cup remains a glaring omission from his trophy cabinet. On Wednesday in Salzburg, the Aston Villa manager gets a fourth chance to change that narrative when his side take on Paris Saint-Germain in the season-opening clash between the Champions League and Europa League winners.


A history of near-misses

Emery’s Super Cup record reads like a roll-call of European heavyweights: defeats to Real Madrid and Barcelona with Sevilla, and a penalty shootout loss to Chelsea with Villarreal in 2021. The 2015 final, a 5-4 extra-time thriller against a Lionel Messi-inspired Barça, came just a year after Cristiano Ronaldo’s brace secured the trophy for Real.


Now, at the Red Bull Arena and with around 6,000 Villa supporters in attendance, Emery has an opportunity to break the streak against his former club. “Of course, it’s an opportunity. A trophy is something that can give us a special moment,” Emery said, pointing to captain John McGinn’s reminder of the Chelsea defeat. “As a professional, our objective is to play for trophies.”


Does the Super Cup really matter?

The debate over the competition’s significance mirrors that around England’s Community Shield. For some, it’s a glamorous pre-season friendly with a trophy attached; for others, it’s a genuine test of early-season readiness.


PSG’s squad insists they are treating it seriously. Midfielder Vitinha, a four-time Ligue 1 champion with the club, said: “We’re still hungry for victories, trophies. It’s very difficult to maintain those levels but we’re still hungry.” Defender Marquinhos echoed that sentiment, stressing that past success does not guarantee future results.


Yet PSG’s preparations have been far from ideal. Luis Enrique’s side arrived in Salzburg with a condensed pre-season, and the club even complained about the size of their dressing room before UEFA provided an additional one.


Villa’s evolving identity

Wednesday’s fixture is a rematch of the 2024–25 Champions League quarter-final, when Villa pushed PSG to the brink before bowing out 5-4 on aggregate. That second-leg comeback, from 2-0 down to win 3-2 at Villa Park, remains a defining moment in Emery’s project, signalling that the club could compete with Europe’s elite.


However, the squad that travels to Austria looks markedly different. Key departures include Morgan Rogers, Lucas Digne and Youri Tielemans, while Amadou Onana is out long-term with injury. Boubacar Kamara is back in the group but only just returning from a serious knee problem, and World Cup participants Emi Martinez, Ezri Konsa and Ollie Watkins were given an extended break and have not travelled.


Emery may field as few as four starters from the side that faced PSG 18 months ago, with five of the substitutes from that night also no longer at the club. For a team known for its consistency under Emery, this represents a significant transitional phase.


Excitement builds for the new Aston Villa”

Despite the turnover, McGinn insists the club’s core identity remains intact. “We have a structure in place, standards and rules which have made us a success,” he said. “I’m really excited about the new Aston Villa. We have our main core, the same manager, same methods and same desire to achieve more.”


Emery’s perfectionist nature means that finishing fourth in the Premier League last season, while not a failure, still stings. The same applies to the Super Cup: even if some view it as a secondary prize, for Emery it is another benchmark to measure progress.


What’s at stake?

For PSG, the match is a chance to cement their status as Europe’s dominant force, having won back-to-back Champions League titles. For Villa, it is an opportunity to announce their continued evolution under Emery, even as they rebuild.


With odds favouring PSG, the expectation is that the French side’s quality will tell over 90 minutes. But Emery’s record in knockout football suggests Villa cannot be written off, especially with 6,000 fans creating a hostile atmosphere for their former boss.