The European curtain raiser is upon us as PSG take on Tottenham Hotspur in the UEFA Super Cup, with both teams eager to kick-start their season with a trophy.

At times, a new campaign is often defined by how a team starts it, and in PSG and Tottenham Hotspur’s case, they have the chance to begin proceedings with a trophy to show. The UEFA Super Cup is upon us as UEFA Champions League winners PSG take on Europa League champions Tottenham

PSG are certainly hoping to begin their new campaign with a Super Cup, and Luis Enrique will want to banish the Club World Cup final from his mind. Had the Parsisians won the summer tournament, it would have capped off an incredible season, as they had already won the domestic treble in France and then clinched their first-ever Champions League crown in May.

Enrique will want to keep the momentum going and consider the Club World Cup Final loss to Chelsea as a mere blip in his armour. Now, they take on Europa League champions Tottenham in the European curtain raiser, with the UEFA Super Cup up for grabs.

Tottenham are fresher than PSG heading into the Super Cup clash, considering the Parisians had a delayed pre-season given their involvement in the Club World Cup. This upcoming European curtain raiser is a very important match for new boss Thomas Frank, and he would relish the opportunity of commencing his reign in North London with a trophy.

Spurs are here courtesy of their narrow win over Manchester United in the UEFA Europa League final, which has also allowed them entry into the Champions League despite finishing 17th in the Premier League last season. They have endured a mixed pre-season so far, with their latest game ending in a terrible 4-0 loss to Bayern Munich.

Frank will certainly want to see more from his side ahead of this clash with PSG. This may be the last time for the new boss to gauge his main lineup for the opening weekend in the Premier League as they take on newcomers Burnley. Winning the Super Cup will be a much-needed boost to kick-start their domestic campaign.

Team News & Tactics

PSG

Luis Enrique is not expected to make any notable changes to his preferred setting for this game. The Spanish tactician’s preferred lineup might be a bit more predictable, and things may not have changed since their loss in the Club World Cup final.

A few tweaks are expected, as new arrival Lucas Chevalier will take over the no. 1 spot from Gianluigi Donnarumma. The Italian international is now widely expected to depart Paris for a new challenge after being unable to agree on fresh terms as his current deal expires in under a year.

Willian Pacho and Lucas Hernandez are expected to be available after serving a suspension in the Club World Cup final. Joao Neves, on the other hand, picked up a late red card in that game, which will see him miss this clash as well as another later in the season.

Warren Zaire-Emery will be expected to replace Neves in the midfield setup, while new defensive arrival Illia Zabarnyi might get a place on the bench if PSG manage to register him on time for this clash. Beyond that, Enrique is expected to name a familiar lineup, with Ousmane Dembele, Vitinha, Fabian Ruiz and Desire Doue all set to start.

Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Chevalier; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Mendes; Zaire-Emery, Vitinha, Ruiz; Doue, Dembele, Kvaratskhelia

Tottenham Hotspur

Thomas Frank has a few key injury issues to contend with ahead of this clash, as well as the Premier League opener at the weekend. Long-serving attacker Son Heung-min has left the club and joined LAFC in the MLS, while the big news is the James Maddison ACL injury that may keep him out for most of the 2025/26 season.

There are other fitness concerns, as Destiny Udogie is expected to miss the PSG clash as well as the one on the weekend against Burnley. Dominic Solanke is another out nursing a problem, and he, too, is not expected to feature against PSG, and may miss the Premier League opener.

Djed Spence is expected to take the left-back spot for this Super Cup clash, while Frank is expected to have the regular members of Tottenham’s defence available. New midfield signing Joao Palhinha is expected to start alongside Rodrigo Bentancur and Pape Matar Sarr.

With Solanke absent, Richarlison could be the preferred option to lead the line for Spurs, while new signing Mohammed Kudus will make his official debut for the team. Due to the Ghanaian international’s versatility, Frank could have the choice to start either Brennan Johnson or Mathys Tel, with the former likely to get the nod on the right wing.

Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Spence; Bentancur, Palhinha, Sarr; Johnson, Richarlison, Kudus

Key Stats

• PSG will play their first preseason match, having last featured in the Club World Cup
• PSG have scored ten goals and conceded four goals in the last five games
• Tottenham have scored only four goals while conceding seven across their last five pre-season matches.
• Tottenham have failed to score in two out of their last five games.

Player to Watch

Mohammed Kudus

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These first games of the season are always about new signings, and in Tottenham’s case, about Kudus. The Ghanaian attacker has been good so far in pre-season, but the UEFA Super Cup is a good enough platform for him to showcase his mettle for the team.

With a trophy on the cards and a platform shared by many notable players, Kudus will aim to stand tall and be visible in this clash. A good performance here will go a long way in instilling confidence for the player ahead of a tough season, while Tottenham will hope for a top-notch display from their star arrival this summer.

Prediction

PSG 3-1 Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham have had a good enough pre-season from a fitness perspective, although they are yet to show they can get big results along the way. While injuries have hampered them so far ahead of the new campaign, they might have an edge over PSG when it comes to match sharpness.

However, the Parisians are not to be underestimated, and Luis Enrique will want to make a statement of intent with a first trophy this season. In terms of quality, PSG are much stronger than Spurs, and despite a lack of pre-season, the Parisians are the clear favourites to win the UEFA Super Cup.