Champions League Holders PSG Deliver Heart-Stopping Penalty Shootout Victory After Dramatic Late Rally Against Tottenham
Paris Saint-Germain orchestrated a stunning turnaround against Tottenham to secure the UEFA Super Cup through a thrilling penalty shootout triumph.
PSG and Tottenham launched their 2025–26 seasons in the 50th anniversary UEFA Super Cup clash. The French giants entered the Stadio Friuli as Champions League winners while Tottenham displayed their Europa League silverware.
What appeared destined to be a one-sided contest favoring PSG rapidly became far from predictable. Luis Enrique's squad clearly resembled a team competing in their inaugural match since the FIFA Club World Cup final a month prior, while Spurs demonstrated sharpness from the first whistle.
Neither team possessed the required precision to break the deadlock initially, until Tottenham delivered through a dead-ball situation that left Thomas Frank delighted. Guglielmo Vicario delivered a cross from the halfway line that reached João Palhinha. His close-range attempt was thwarted by Lucas Chevalier's fingertips and the crossbar, but Micky van de Ven positioned himself perfectly to tap in the loose ball, putting Tottenham ahead in the 39th minute.
PSG entered halftime without registering a single shot on target. It appeared certain they would emerge with attacking intentions, but the Europa League winners struck again just three minutes after the restart via another set-piece. Cristian Romero nodded home an excellent delivery from Pedro Porro to extend Spurs' advantage to 2–0, although his header arguably should have been stopped by Chevalier.
Enrique's side delayed their revival until the 85th minute. Lee Kang-in fired home a low drive from 20 yards, reducing PSG's deficit to one. Then, none other than Ousmane Dembélé emerged when his club required him most. The Ballon d'Or contender delivered a precise cross that Gonçalo Ramos directed into the net to send the match to a penalty shootout.
Vitinha blazed his attempt wide, but it proved irrelevant as Van de Ven and Mathys Tel also failed to convert from the spot. Nuno Mendes confidently netted the decisive penalty to claim the UEFA Super Cup for PSG, completing his team's remarkable comeback.
Spurs will be devastated to surrender the match and miss out on their second trophy in three months. PSG, conversely, become the seventh straight Champions League holders to capture the UEFA Super Cup.
Check out player ratings from the game below.
PSG Player Ratings vs. Real Madrid (4-3-3)
*Ratings provided by FotMob*
Player | Rating (Out of 10) |
|---|---|
GK: Lucas Chevalier | 5.5 |
RB: Achraf Hakimi | 6.4 |
CB: Marquinhos | 6.4 |
CB: Willian Pacho | 6.3 |
LB: Nuno Mendes | 6.5 |
CM: Warren Zaïre-Emery | 7.0 |
CM: Vitinha | 8.0 |
CM: Désiré Doué | 6.1 |
RW: Khvicha Kvaratskhelia | 6.4 |
ST: Ousmane Dembélé | 7.9 |
LW: Bradley Barcola | 6.3 |
SUB: Fabián Ruiz (60' for Kvaratskhelia) | 6.5 |
SUB: Ibrahim Mbaye (67' for Barcola) | 6.5 |
SUB: Lee Kang-in (67' for Zaïre-Emery) | 7.5 |
SUB: Gonçalo Ramos (77' for Doué) | 6.9 |
Subs not used: Matvey Safonov (GK), Renato Marin (GK), Lucas Beraldo, Lucas Hernández, Noham Kamara.
Tottenham Player Ratings vs. PSG (3-4-1-2)
*Ratings provided by FotMob*
Player | Rating (Out of 10) |
|---|---|
GK: Guglielmo Vicario | 5.7 |
CB: Kevin Danso | 7.0 |
CB: Cristian Romero | 7.4 |
CB: Micky van de Ven | 7.3 |
RWB: Pedro Porro | 7.1 |
DM: João Palhinha | 6.8 |
DM: Rodrigo Bentancur | 7.3 |
LWB: Djed Spence | 6.2 |
AM: Pape Sarr | 7.5 |
ST: Mohammed Kudus | 7.1 |
ST: Richarlison | 6.9 |
SUB: Dominic Solanke (72' for Richarlison) | 5.7 |
SUB: Archie Gray (72' for Palhinha) | 6.0 |
SUB: Mathys Tel (79' for Kudus) | 5.9 |
SUB: Lucas Bergvall (90' for Sarr) | N/A |
Subs not used: Antonín Kinský (GK), Brandon Austin (GK), Ben Davies, Junai Byfield, Luka Vušković, Brennan Johnson, Wilson Odobert.