August 14, (THEWILL) — Paris Saint-Germain claimed their inaugural UEFA Super Cup title following a dramatic 4-3 penalty shootout victory over Tottenham Hotspur at Stadio Friuli on Wednesday evening. The UEFA Champions League winners overcame a two-goal deficit in the final 10 minutes of regular time to force the contest into spot kicks. Nuno Mendes converted the decisive penalty after Vitinha, Micky van de Ven and Mathys Tel all missed their attempts from 12 yards.
Tottenham dominated the opening exchanges and took a deserved lead in the 39th minute through defender Micky van de Ven. The Dutch centre-back capitalised on a goalmouth scramble after João Palhinha’s close-range effort struck the crossbar following Guglielmo Vicario’s long ball forward. Cristian Romero doubled the UEFA Europa League champions’ advantage three minutes into the second half, heading home Pedro Porro’s cross despite Lucas Chevalier getting a hand to the ball.
Luis Enrique’s side struggled to create meaningful chances throughout the match, registering their first shot on target only in the 85th minute. Lee Kang-in reduced the arrears with a low drive from 20 yards that found the bottom corner past Vicario. The South Korean midfielder had been introduced as a substitute 18 minutes earlier alongside Ibrahim Mbaye in a tactical reshuffle.
Ousmane Dembélé salvaged extra time for the Parisians with a precise cross in the third minute of stoppage time. Gonçalo Ramos met the delivery with a powerful header that left Vicario with no chance of making a save. The Portuguese striker had replaced Désiré Doué 13 minutes prior to his equalising goal, completing PSG’s remarkable turnaround.
The victory extends a notable trend in European football, with PSG becoming the seventh consecutive UCL holder to lift the UEFA Super Cup. Tottenham’s defeat represents a bitter disappointment after their strong performance throughout regular time threatened to deliver Thomas Frank his first trophy with the North London outfit. Both teams now turn their attention to domestic league campaigns beginning this weekend.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
