The European club season kicks off in Udine on Wednesday as Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham Hotspur face off in the UEFA Super Cup, pitting Champions League glory against Europa League triumph.
Both sides arrive buoyed by silverware but under different circumstances, setting the stage for a thrilling early-season showdown.
For PSG, the 2024-25 season was historic.
Luis Enrique’s men completed a quadruple, sweeping Ligue 1, the Coupe de France, the Trophee des Champions, and, most notably, the club’s first-ever Champions League title.
Their emphatic 5-0 rout of Inter Milan in Munich set a record for the largest winning margin in a European final, cementing their place in French football folklore alongside bitter rivals Marseille.
PSG narrowly missed out on a quintuple after a 3-0 defeat to Chelsea in the Club World Cup final in the U.S.
That U.S. tour left the Parisians little time for friendlies ahead of preseason, with their domestic campaign resuming against Nantes this weekend.
Fortunately, Enrique retains a largely fit squad, though Gianluigi Donnarumma is expected to depart, with Lille’s Lucas Chevalier poised to take over in goal.
Suspended players Willian Pacho and Lucas Hernandez return, while Joao Neves sits out due to a two-match FIFA ban.
Spurs, by contrast, enter Udine with a fresh managerial outlook.
Thomas Frank has overseen six preseason friendlies, remaining unbeaten until a 4-0 defeat to Bayern Munich last week.
Last season’s Europa League success ended a 17-year trophy drought but did not save Ange Postecoglou, who was sacked after a disappointing 17th-place Premier League finish.
Injury concerns shadow Tottenham’s lineup.
James Maddison faces a long-term absence after tearing his ACL in preseason, joining Dejan Kulusevski and Radu Dragusin on the sidelines.
Dominic Solanke is still recovering from preseason setbacks, and left-back Destiny Udogie is a doubt for both the Super Cup and the Premier League opener against Burnley on Saturday.
Neither club has lifted the Super Cup before, with this marking Spurs’ first appearance.
PSG will aim to exorcise memories of 1996-97, when they lost 9-2 on aggregate to Juventus after entering as UEFA Cup winners.
The clash promises to test PSG’s championship mettle against a Spurs side eager to establish momentum under a new manager.
