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Paris Saint-Germain have won the UEFA Super Cup for a second straight year by beating Aston Villa 2-1 thanks to Desire Doue’s second-half goal in the annual curtain-raiser to the European football season.
Doue’s 61st-minute strike on Wednesday after running onto Ousmane Dembele’s pass was initially ruled out for offside, only for the goal to be awarded following a video review, with Matty Cash adjudged to have marginally played him onside.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s powerfully struck opener in the 20th minute was cancelled out by a volley from Brian Madjo, a 17-year-old striker making his competitive debut for Villa days after getting approval to play following a dispute with FIFA over his registration. He became the youngest player to start and score in a UEFA Super Cup final.
It is the first of a possible six trophies this season for PSG, who became the first team to win back-to-back Super Cup titles since Real Madrid (2016 and 2017).
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The Super Cup is an annual early-season match between the most recent winners of the Champions League (PSG) and Europa League (Villa).
The game in Salzburg, Austria, was refereed by Omar Artan, the Somali official whom the United States barred from officiating at the FIFA World Cup days before the start of the tournament due to vetting concerns. US officials claimed Artan had connections to “terrorist” organisations, without providing proof.
UEFA responded by picking Artan – a referee judged the best in Africa last season – to take charge of the Super Cup in a power play by European football’s governing body amid its increasing disconnect with FIFA.
The disharmony has increased since, with UEFA leading a campaign to remove Gianni Infantino from the FIFA presidency over his recent aborted plan to sell an interest in the World Cup.
Artan was the first non-European referee to take charge of the Super Cup and issued three yellow cards, all of them to Villa players.
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