Emery praised the young players for their ability to compete on the field with the first team.

Aston Villa, after coming back from a goal down to equalize through a goal from Bryan Madjo in the 2026 UEFA Super Cup, conceded another goal in the second half and ultimately lost 1-2 to Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain. In an interview, Unai Emery expressed his delight with the performance of the young players involved in the match, praising them for possessing the ability to compete with the first team.

In the 20th minute, Due delivered a diagonal pass into the penalty area, where Kvalatschlia followed up and fired a shot past the defender to give Paris Saint-Germain a 1-0 lead. In the 45th minute, McGinn received a pass from his teammate and chipped it into the penalty area, where Bryan Madjo dealt with the defense and slotted the ball into the net to level the score at 1-1 for Aston Villa.

In the 61st minute of the second half, Dembele made a long pass, and Due received the ball and entered the penalty area to push the ball into the goal, helping Paris Saint-Germain regain the lead at 2-1.

Ultimately, Aston Villa lost 1-2 to Paris Saint-Germain.

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery said, "We participated in a preseason game, but it was also a game for the title. We developed a game plan, and after the game, the final result and our performance will naturally produce different feedback and lessons, because we decided to let those players who were ready to play and in good physical condition participate in this game. Tactically, we have also been training for four weeks."

"At the same time, we also want to avoid taking unnecessary risks for some players and give those who played until the final stages of the World Cup an extra week of rest, such as Emiliano Martinez, Watkins, and Konsa. They are all very important players, but how to manage players is equally important, including rest, training, and matches. We are starting the new season in this way and preparing for the upcoming season."

Emery pointed out, "I have experience in this area myself, and I hope to use past experience to avoid some mistakes that may occur or have already happened in other situations. I am really, really happy because we have also fielded several young players who have been involved in our daily training last year."

“George Hemings and Bryan Madjo had been training with us for a while, but hadn’t really gotten a chance to compete. We’ve been working hard to get them ready and to the level they are at now.”

In addition, Emery added, "Of course, they still have a lot of work to do, but they have already proven to us that they are capable of playing alongside the first team."

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