Unai Emery hailed the performance of teenage sensation Brian Madjo after Aston Villa were overpowered by Paris Saint-Germain in the Super Cup final.
The young striker made his mark on the team by firing an excellent first-time equalizer in response to the early goal scored by Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
However, the winner scored by Desire Doue enabled Champions League winners PSG to become the third team to successfully defend the trophy following AC Milan in 1990 and Real Madrid in 2017, per ESPN.
Historic Debut
After the eclipse of the sun darkened the skies over Salzburg, Brian Madjo illuminated the Red Bull Arena, with the teenager almost getting a hat-trick after scoring a brilliant far post volley.
Madjo became the youngest ever scorer in Super Cup history but it ended up being a very miserable night for the Premier League side with them losing by a slim margin of 2-1.
On the bright side, Emery had reasons to be happy with the performances of Madjo who played on his debut in the wake of a lengthy disagreement on FIFA regulations concerning his transfer from Metz in January.
“Their experiences and having days like today are very important,” Emery said.
“Brian played today because in preseason he has showed his capacity to work.
“The reality is to keep being consistent and performing in the level they showed today.”
Emery’s Strategy
Ollie Watkins, Emiliano Martinez and Ezri Konsa were absent due to the extended break after the World Cup.
“We played one match today to compete for a trophy and we decided to play this match with the players who were ready to play,” Emery added.
“We tried to avoid risk to some players, and of course they are very important players but it is important how we manage the players.
“I’m so, so happy because we used some young players who were working with us last year but not playing. There is work to do but they showed they can be close to playing.
“We had some players last week injured and they recovered quick. We needed to be intelligent with how we wanted to play this match.
“I’m happy with the decisions. Watkins wanted to play. I told him to keep resting.
“Today I think the team tactically responded fantastically. They looked PSG in the eyes. I wanted this trophy but I needed to prepare the match under the circumstances.
“I am proud of the players. But it’s not a win. We were playing for a trophy.”
