The Uefa Super Cup takes place on Wednesday evening.
Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain face off against Europa League victors Aston Villa. The European season curtain-raiser pits Europe’s top two teams against one another in Salzburg.
PSG are looking to successfully defend their crown having beaten Tottenham Hotspur on penalties in Italy last year. They’ll face a different Aston Villa that defeated Freiburg in Istanbul in May. Key men Youri Tielemans and Morgan Rogers have left for Manchester United and Chelsea, respectively.
Lucas Digne’s first match since leaving for PSG will come against his former employers. New signings Alejandro Garnacho and Joao Gomes are expected to feature from the outset for Unai Emery’s side. What the Spaniard wouldn’t give to get one over his former employers.
The PSG camp, meanwhile, will have an alternate look to the one that started the Champions League final win over Arsenal. A bulk of their first-choice squad have only recently returned to first-team training, suggesting that Luis Enrique may hold off using his star players for the Villa clash.
In this article, we’ll cover:
Mbaye set for starting Super Cup spot
It means a number of fringe players may feature. One of those who’ll come under the spotlight is teenager Ibrahim Mbaye.
With Ousmane Dembele, Bradley Barcola and Desire Doue in France action until the penultimate day in North America, teenager Mbaye is expected to get a run out for the Parisian powerhouse in midweek. Given recent Liverpool links, he’ll be one that fans follow closely on Wednesday.
The Senegal international was one that Enrique routinely turned to last season. Despite his tender years, Mbaye managed 10 league starts and a further 14 appearances off the bench. For a team of PSG’s stature at his age, it was a huge show of faith.
It was ultimately one that paid off. In the process, he scored three times and provided two assists. Enrique and PSG will hope he can make a flying start to the season at Villa’s expense. Likely to be up against the more attack-minded Ian Maatsen, the space will be there for Mbaye to exploit.
Teenager more of a traditional right winger
After all, he’s an explosive winger who hogs the touchline when he breaks down the right flank. However, rather than look to cut onto his left from the right, Mbaye is a throwback to the old school. The right-footed wideman favours breaking down the flank rather than coming inside.
That’s not to say he’s pigeon-holed as purely a right winger only. Mbaye is able to play from the left, but his best work comes on the opposite flank. Here, he’s able to maximise his pace on the ball. Indeed, he attempted more take-ons per 90 minutes (5.0) than any other PSG player in Ligue 1 last season. A 36.2% take-on success rate didn’t make for great reading but the determination to continuously try and beat a man warrants praise.
Providing a little more context to the return, too, PSG were more often than not forced to come up against opponents that sit deep. A 68.9% possession average was far and away the most in the division. It meant space was often at a premium, meaning Mbaye and his teammates had to work harder in order to ghost past a marker.
Conversely, this also speaks to Mbaye’s decision making, an area that could use some refinement. His 1.8 chances created per 90 wasn’t a poor return by any stretch. Rather, it could be that Mbaye sought to beat a man rather than pick a pass that would have been more beneficial to the team.
Liverpool interest not surprising
This rawness to his game, however, is what makes Mbaye such an exciting prospect. Yes, it can prove frustrating, but he’s a player who gets bums off seats as he pegs back opponents. At his age, too, there is ample time to hone his game to become a more well-rounded wideman capable of reaching the very top.
Interest from Liverpool also makes sense. While he’s not quite ready to fill the Mo Salah void on the right, Mbaye has the tools to follow in the Egyptian’s footsteps. At his age, the teenager wouldn’t fill a senior spot in the first team. In the process, he’ll qualify as a homegrown player at the end of the 2028/29 season. He’d be a long-term investment by the club.
The ability to play both flanks also appeals to Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola. The Spaniard has often favoured multi-positional widemen. Take Antoine Semenyo, for example.
While few take the Uefa Super Cup seriously, aside from those whose team features in the season curtain-raiser, Liverpool fans will certainly tune in on Wednesday evening to catch a glimpse of Mbaye. With the likes of Doue, Dembele and fellow Liverpool target Barcola unlikely to start, the teenager is in line to feature from the outset against Villa this week.
Shine against Premier League opposition, and it may prove to be Mbaye’s farewell outing.