European Champions Paris Saint-Germain beat Europa League winners Tottenham Hotspur 4-3 on penalties to win the UEFA Super Cup on Wednesday after producing a late comeback to draw the match 2-2.
Udine, Italy: Paris Saint-Germain staged a stunning comeback to clinch the UEFA Super Cup on Wednesday night, overturning a 2-0 deficit to beat Tottenham Hotspur 4-3 on penalties after a late rally.
The reigning Champions League winners looked dead and buried after first-half set-piece goals from Micky van de Ven and new Spurs captain Cristian Romero, but substitutes Lee Kang-In and Gonçalo Ramos struck in the dying minutes to force a shootout.
Nuno Mendes coolly converted the decisive spot kick to seal PSG’s dramatic win.
Tottenham, under new boss Thomas Frank, had looked tactically sharp and physically dominant for most of the match.
However, their inability to close out the game under pressure proved costly, as PSG, despite missing several midfield regulars, found late momentum with two goals in the last five minutes of normal time, with no extra time needed for the scores at square.
The Super Cup victory comes as a relief for PSG boss Luis Enrique, whose side had been in a minor slump since thrashing Inter Milan 5-0 in May’s Champions League final.
A summer 3-0 defeat to Chelsea in the Club World Cup final and a sluggish start here had raised questions about sharpness ahead of the Ligue 1 opener.
New PSG goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier, replacing the out-of-favour Gianluigi Donnarumma, endured a nervy debut, while young forward Bradley Barcola limped off with a worrying non-contact injury.
For Spurs, the defeat adds to an early-season injury crisis, with James Maddison suffering a suspected ACL tear, just months after losing captain Son Heung-Min to LAFC.
Penalty Shootout – How It Unfolded
PSG 4-3 TOT: Mendes scores and PSG win the Super Cup!
PSG 3-3 TOT: Porro scores to keep Tottenham alive.
PSG 3-2 TOT: Lee Kang-In scores!
PSG 2-2 TOT: Tel misses!
PSG 2-2 TOT: Dembélé scores!
PSG 1-2 TOT: Chevalier saves Van de Ven’s penalty!
PSG 1-2 TOT: Ramos scores!
PSG 0-2 TOT: Bentancur scores!
PSG 0-1 TOT: Vitinha misses!
PSG 0-1 TOT: Solanke scores!
