PSG/Manchester United – Pol takes heart, eyes the UEFA Super Cup

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·9 August 2026

PSG/Manchester United – Pol takes heart, eyes the UEFA Super Cup

Paris Saint-Germain were held to a 1-1 draw by Manchester United (PSG/Manchester United highlights) this Saturday at Ullevi Stadium in Gothenburg in a friendly. After the match, Rafel Pol, assistant coach to PSG manager Luis Enrique, spoke in the mixed zone. It was a chance to look back on the two friendlies before starting competitive action on Wednesday in the European Super Cup against Aston Villa.

Pol: “We’ve progressed the way we wanted to progress.”

“I think it was better (than Wednesday against Mallorca, 0-3). The opponent was tougher; Manchester United are one of the big teams in Europe, but we started well with a good team move to score. After that, we struggled a bit to control the match, but I think that’s also normal, there were still a lot of things to catch up on during preparation. In the second half, we controlled possession more, and I hope we’ll gradually rise to the level needed to achieve our objectives. I think we’ve progressed the way we wanted to progress. On the returns of Marquinhos, Nuno Mendes, Joao Neves, and Vitinha: We tried to give them as much vacation as possible because it was important for them to rest. They’ve been training with us for less than a week now, but they showed that they quickly reintegrated into the team. When they came on, we performed well individually and collectively. We’re happy with the way things are progressing.”

More playing time for the returning key players against Aston Villa

Will they be able to play more on Wednesday (in the European Super Cup against Aston Villa)? Yes, but the circumstances will be different, similar to Tottenham last year. Before that, we had ten days of training, and it will be the same for them. The youngsters performed well. It’s not easy because there’s a very big difference between the first team and the U19s, but they showed they can help us when we need them,” remarks relayed by L’Equipe.

Of course, PSG were far from their best level this Saturday against Manchester United. Many players were still missing (8, not counting future signings), and those who were available were not at their best physically. It takes time to build momentum, and friendlies are not there to produce the best possible performance.

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However, as Pol pointed out, there were positives in the play. We saw a more active Paris side, with possession at times and pressing that worked on occasion, even if there were still weaknesses. Good news: Matvey Safonov (the 27-year-old goalkeeper) looked sharp. That is encouraging for what comes next.

So are the returns of Mendes, Neves, Vitinha, and Marquinhos. We still do not know whether they will start, but it is something to consider after their 30 minutes of playing time. The big question concerns the players returning on Monday: Warren Zaïre-Emery, Lucas Hernandez, Bradley Barcola, Désiré Doué, Ousmane Dembélé, Achraf Hakimi, and Fabian Ruiz. Normally, new signing Lucas Digne as well.

At the very least, PSG were able to see that there are academy youngsters they can rely on during the season. They will still have time to improve, and it will be easier to shine in a team that is in form. But some points were scored in these friendlies, and that is worth noting.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇫🇷 here.