Paris, Aug 14: Paris Saint-Germain produced a dramatic late rally before beating Tottenham in a penalty shootout to win the UEFA Super Cup on Wednesday, securing a fifth trophy of 2025 for the French club.
Nuno Mendes converted the clinching spot kick in the shootout to complete a PSG comeback that looked unlikely when Tottenham held a 2-0 lead in the 85th minute of regulation in the annual match between the most recent winners of the Champions League and Europa League.Lee Kang-in gave PSG hope by reducing the deficit with a fierce shot into the bottom corner and fellow substitute Gonçalo Ramos grabbed an equalizer in the fourth minute of stoppage time to make it 2-2 at Stadio Friuli in Udine.Even then, Tottenham moved into position to pull off an upset by taking a 2-0 lead in the shootout after Vitinha’s first-up miss for PSG. However, Micky van de Ven and Mathys Tel failed from the spot for Spurs and PSG scored four penalties in a row, the last of which was slammed home by Mendes.“Sometimes football is unfair,” PSG coach Luis Enrique said. “I have to say we were very lucky in the last 10 minutes that we could score two goals.” PSG won the Champions League-Ligue 1-Coupe de France treble last season, along with the Trophee des Champions in January. The only blip came in last month’s defeat to Chelsea in the final of the Club World Cup, a competition which extended PSG’s 2024-25 season into mid-July.Luis Enrique said PSG’s players had only been back in training for six days and took time to get into their stride.“My players had faith until the last minute, like our supporters,” he said.It was quite the debut for Lucas Chevalier, a goalkeeper who has just joined from Lille and taken over as first choice at PSG from Gianluigi Donnarumma – regarded by many as the world’s best goalie.
Chevalier was unlucky in conceding Tottenham’s opening goal in the 39th, tipping Joao Palhinha’s shot onto the crossbar only for Van de Ven to show quick reactions and prod home.
He was to blame, though, for the second after failing to keep out a header from newly appointed Tottenham captain Cristian Romero in the 48th. (AP)
