With 85 minutes on the clock in Udine, PSG were staring down the barrel in the UEFA Super Cup.
Just as it had been a month earlier, the Parisians found themselves falling well behind an English side intent on denying them another trophy.
But unlike the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™ final, this time salvation arrived, in the shape of super subs Lee Kang-in and Goncalo Ramos.
Brought on shortly after the hour mark, the energetic Korean midfielder instantly injected urgency into the French side’s play. Always available, demanding the ball, and keen speed up the passing tempo, he brought fresh purpose to the PSG midfield as they probed for a way through a stubborn Tottenham defence.
It had taken PSG until the 66th minute to produce their first shot on target, via Desire Doue, who had begun the match in midfield, but it was their second effort that saw them register on the scoresheet. Slipped in by Vitinha on the edge of the box with five minutes left, Lee let fly with a crisp left-foot strike that allowed the Champions League winners to halve the deficit, following Tottenham goals from Micky van de Ven (39′) and Cristian Romero (48′).
From there, the momentum swung dramatically as the Londoners retreated deep, clearing every ball they won rather than trying to build play. PSG smelled blood and launched a series of attacks.
“It’s dangerous to invite Paris Saint-Germain forward,” captain Marquinhos would later smile, and he was right. Deep into added time, Ramos met Ousmane Dembele’s pinpoint cross with a thumping header to force a penalty shoot-out.
From the spot, both of the late scorers converted whilst PSG’s new signing Lucas Chevalier, freshly arrived from LOSC Lille, denied two Tottenham takers before Nuno Mendes stepped up to blast home the clincher and seal yet another trophy for Luis Enrique’s men.
PSG are enjoying a 2025 for the history books, having already claimed the Trophée des Champions, the Ligue 1 title, the Coupe de France, the UEFA Champions League and now the UEFA Super Cup. In December, they will bid for a sixth title at the FIFA Intercontinental Cup™, where they will be joined by Auckland City (OFC), Al Ahli (AFC), Cruz Azul (Concacaf), Pyramids FC (CAF) and the soon-to-be-crowned CONMEBOL Libertadores champions.
What they said…
“I’m proud. Football isn’t just physical, it’s how you play the ball, your positioning, your tactics and your mindset. Tottenham sat back a lot after going 2-0 up, and it is dangerous to invite PSG to come at you like that! Goncalo came off the bench and did exactly what we needed from him, as did all our substitutes. Champions, mon frère!”
Marquinhos, Paris Saint-Germain Captain
“At 2-0, we didn’t have time to think about things, we just needed a goal to get back into it. And that’s exactly what we did. Last season was incredible, but we’re still hungry for more.”
Ousmane Dembele, Player of the Match
“I never gave up hope. From the 80th minute, Tottenham stopped pressing and sat deep. That was our moment. All the players who came on, Kang-in, Goncalo, [Ibrahim] Mbaye, Fabian Ruiz, were all so brave and I’m very happy with their performances.”
Luis Enrique, Paris Saint-Germain Coach
