The curtain will be raised on the European club season when Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham Hotspur go head-to-head in Udine in the UEFA Super Cup on Wednesday.
Both clubs overcame adversity at stages in 2024-25 to become Champions League and Europa League winners, and they now have the opportunity to add more silverware on the eve of the new season.
Match preview
It was a season that will never be forgotten for everybody of a Parisian persuasion, as PSG completed a clean sweep of trophies, winning an unprecedented quadruple.
Ligue 1 and Coupe de France success came with consummate ease for Luis Enrique’s men, who already added the Trophee des Champions to their collection earlier in the year, but a first ever Champions League crown means this current crop will go down in folklore.
PSG became just the second French club to be crowned European champions, finally joining bitter rivals Marseille in that exclusive club, and after a decade-and-a-half of intense investment from QSI, the Holy Grail was delivered at last.
It was achieved in emphatic style too, as PSG thrashed Inter Milan 5-0 in Munich back in May, breaking the record for the largest margin of victory ever witnessed in a final in the competition.
Enrique’s men would have had eyes on a quintuple after also going far in the Club World Cup over the summer, and they were well fancied in the final against Chelsea, but it was one game too far for the Parisians, as Enzo Maresca’s men swept them aside in a 3-0 win.
That escapade in the United States means PSG have not had any time for friendlies since returning for preseason, with their 2024-25 campaign only ending less than a month ago, and in the blink of an eye, the season is now upon us, with PSG playing their Ligue 1 opener against Nantes at the weekend.
On the other hand, Spurs have had an extensive pre-season programme, playing six friendlies under new manager Thomas Frank, remaining unbeaten until a 4-0 loss at Bayern Munich last week.
Tottenham Hotspur's Richarlison and Pape Sarr celebrate on July 31, 2025
Ending the club’s 17-year wait for silverware was not enough to save Ange Postecoglou, as the Aussie was sacked following a 17th-place finish in the Premier League, despite leading them to Europa League glory in May.
An early positive sign was beating local rivals Arsenal in a friendly in Hong Kong, but this matchup will give a much clearer indication of where Spurs are at as they prepare for a campaign in the Champions League.
Frank will take charge of his first Premier League game with the club on Saturday, when Burnley make the trip to North London, where anything but a win will make for a worrying start.
Neither side has won the Super Cup before, and this will be Spurs’ first appearance in it, while PSG will want to banish the nightmare they had in 1996-97 when they entered as UEFA Cup winners, and lost 9-2 on aggregate to Juventus.
Tottenham Hotspur Preseason form:
W D D W D L
Team News
PSG's Gianluigi Donnarumma pictured in July 2025
PSG were fortunate that the majority of their small squad stayed fit all the way through the business end of last season, and that is still the case, as Enrique will be able to pick a full-strength side here.
The only notable change could be in goal, where Gianluigi Donnarumma appears to be on his way out, with Lille stopper Lucas Chevalier already being brought in as a likely replacement.
Willian Pacho and Lucas Hernandez both missed the Club World Cup final due to suspension last month and will return here, but Joao Neves was sent off in the dying stages, and has been banned for two matches by FIFA.
Tottenham will be without James Maddison for the majority of next season after he tore his ACL in a friendly against Newcastle United earlier in preseason, joining long-term absentees Dejan Kulusevski and Radu Dragusin on the sidelines.
Dominic Solanke has also missed most of preseason, but even though a return for him is expected in the near future, this will likely come too soon.
Left-back Destiny Udogie is the other injury concern for Frank, and there is a chance he will miss both this encounter, and the league opener against Burnley at the weekend.
Paris Saint-Germain possible starting lineup:
Chevalier; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Nuno Mendes; Zaire-Emery, Vitinha, Fabian Ruiz; Doue, Dembele, Kvaratskhelia
Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup:
Vicario; Pedro Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Spence; Bentancur, Palhinha, Sarr; Johnson, Richarlison, Kudus
SM words green background
We say: Paris Saint-Germain 3-0 Tottenham Hotspur
The gulf in class is striking, and if last season is anything to go by, there can only be one winner in this clash.
PSG were stunned by Chelsea last month, but they convincingly beat numerous Premier League sides on their way to Champions League glory, while Spurs finished down in 17th, and are in a transitional period under another new manager.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
ID:579068:1false2false3false: from db desktop :LenBod:collect7699:
No Data Analysis info
Previews by email
Click here to get Sports Mole's daily email of previews and predictions for every major game!