No matter what, history will be made in the UEFA Super Cup on Wednesday as Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham meet in Italy. The winners of the Champions League and the Europa League this past season, neither club have previously won a major European title (PSG did win the 2001 Intertoto Cup), and because of that, they’ve also never lifted this trophy, one which marks the end of the preseason before major European leagues return to play.
After PSG fell in the Club World Cup final to Chelsea, they’ll want to quickly move past that result, while there would be no better start to the Thomas Frank era at Tottenham than knocking off PSG. After losing star midfielder James Maddison to an ACL injury that will sideline him for most of the season, this match will be a chance for Frank to show that his team is ready for the season despite the losses, squaring off against one of the top clubs in the world.
How to watch PSG vs. Tottenham, odds
- Date: Wednesday, Aug. 13 | Time: 3 p.m. ET
- Location: Bluenergy Stadium — Udine, Italy
- Live stream: Paramount+ | TV: CBS Sports Network
- Odds: PSG -240; Draw +380; Tottenham +600
The CWC may have been a bump in the road for PSG, but nothing can erase their illustrious Champions League final victory over Inter in May, winning 5-0. Losing this match would create doubt heading into the new Ligue 1 season, especially with changes possibly coming to the goalkeeping department, where Gianluigi Donnarumma has been left out of the traveling squad for this match and looks on his way out. PSG have already added Lucas Chevalier from Lille to start between the sticks, but the jump to PSG is a large one. He’ll have to cope with more pressure, and it’s no guarantee that things will work out from the start despite Chevalier being a quality keeper
Tottenham have their own player left out of the squad for this match in Yves Bissouma. Frank cited lateness as the reason for him missing out due to disciplinary reasons, but with Joao Palhinha joining on loan from Bayern Munich, Frank has adequate depth in defensive midfield to cope with this absence. Bissouma is someone who has been linked with a move away from Tottenham and things like lateness could be the final straw in pushing a move.
PSG have added to their defensive corps with the addition of Illia Zabarnyi from Bournemouth, but the biggest looming question is around if this is a team ready to start the season. PSG have played soccer nonstop with only one month between playing in the Club World Cup final and the UEFA Super Cup final. Meanwhile, while it took Tottenham a few weeks during the offseason to bring in Frank, they’ve had a normal offseason free from extra matches to prepare. Both will immediately kick off their league seasons over the weekend following this match, making it a good litmus test to see where each is.
PSG’s press under Luis Enrique has been one of the hallmarks of their success, but they ran out of steam in the Club World Cup final. If the layoff wasn’t enough to regain stamina to press for 90 minutes, it could open a chance for Tottenham to catch PSG on the break and defy the odds. Tottenham’s defense is expected to improve under Frank and facing PSG’s attack will bring a chance to test that. Considering the questions both sides are facing, this Super Cup final could set the tone for the season ahead.
