The European Super Cup between PSG and Tottenham is a two-pronged battle

Not big stages like San Siro, Wembley or Stade de France, UEFA chose friuli because of the rotation policy, prioritizing mid-range stadiums to promote football and local tourism. Although only with a capacity of 25,000 seats, Udinese's home stadium has just been renovated in a modern style.

This year's Super Cup will definitely have a new champion because both have never been crowned in this arena. PSG made history with their first Champions League title after a 5-0 win over Inter Milan. Tottenham, meanwhile, ended 17 years empty-handed by defeating Man United 1-0 in the Europa League final.

At PSG, Luis Enrique built a team around ball control, changing positions (the initial formation was 4-3-3 but when holding the ball, it could be turned into 3-2-5 to create pressure), prioritizing space between lines and exploiting speed on both edges. The Spanish coach always wants PSG to stifle the opponent with the intensity of attacks from many directions.

Meanwhile, Thomas Frank came to Spurs with a "stable - disciplined - effective" record, leaning towards organizing a tight defense, exploiting set pieces and taking advantage of quick counter-attacks. The Danish strategist's style is more practical than the brilliant but disorderly attack.

The philosophical differences will turn the match into a test for both sides. PSG will try to take the initiative, while Spurs will want to lock down the opponent's attack spearheads and wait for the opportunity to take the wrong punishment.

PSG have just deepened their defense by bringing in Illia Zabarnyi from Bournemouth. The Ukrainian star is strong in air combat and proactive movement. This is a necessary quality when facing Spurs' speed drills.

Tottenham in the 2025 summer transfer window also strengthened their defense when bringing in Kota Takai and Luca Vuskovic. However, the "Roosters" will be missing a few defenders such as destiny Udogie and Radu Dragusin due to injury.

In midfield, PSG will lack Joao Neves due to suspension, which will affect his ability to press, cover and rotate the ball in the midfield area. Luis Enrique will have to adjust the midfield as Warren Zaire-Emery is likely to replace him. This means that the duo Vitinha - Ruiz will play more towards controlling the pace of the match instead of trying to penetrate the opponent's defense.

Tottenham, meanwhile, have strengthened their midfield muscles by successfully recruiting Palhinha. However, Spurs also suffered a big loss in terms of creativity when James Maddison was seriously injured, along with the departure of captain Son Heung-min.

On the attack front, PSG are rated higher than Tottenham. Luis Enrique currently owns the best "three- nail" in Europe last season: Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue. With very strong flank attacks, the French team can exploit the space between the full-backs and the centre-backs of Spurs.

Tottenham, after buying Mohammed Kudus, still lack a creative conductor without the services of Maddison and Son. This will reduce the likelihood of creating opportunities. Spurs will rely on exemplary counter-attacks, trying to change the state with less touches.

If PSG make good use of the space on the two wings and force Tottenham to play low, they can decide the match in the 90th minute. Conversely, if Spurs are resilient and drag the game into extra time or penalty shootouts, their experience in the Europa League last season could help them create a surprise.

The European Super Cup match is more important in terms of spiritual value than the title. A win would give both teams a pre-season boost. For PSG, starting with a title will help them get closer to the "six-man" destination in the 2025-2026 season.

As for Tottenham, this is an extremely difficult task as it is only the first match of Thomas Frank, who has not much experience in European competition.