Will Mohammed Kudus mimic Cole Palmer blueprint? Can Spurs catch Paris Saint

Will Mohammed Kudus mimic Cole Palmer blueprint? Can Spurs catch Paris Saint-Germain cold? UEFA Super Cup preview as Thomas Frank eyes first trophy

Published 11/08/2025 at 14:26 GMT+1

It's two finals in just under three months for Tottenham, who - after their historic UEFA Europa League final victory over Manchester United in May - are preparing to take on the might of Paris Saint-Germain in Udine. The Parisians' last final against Chelsea at the FIFA Club World Cup did not go as planned, so can Spurs emulate their London rivals as they start life under new boss Thomas Frank?

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After a season which saw them conquer all-comers, Paris Saint-Germain looked odds-on to complete a silverware sweep in the FIFA Club World Cup final against Chelsea - before Cole Palmer decided to flip the script.

The English forward turned in perhaps the signature performance of his career to date, outshining PSG's host of stars to walk off with the player of the tournament gong, as well as driving his team to the CWC trophy itself following Chelsea's 3-0 win.

Even more surprising was the fact that Enzo Maresca's Blues cut through PSG's previously impregnable left side like the proverbial knife through butter, with Ballon d'Or candidate Nuno Mendes having his toughest game of the campaign.

UEFA Super Cup

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Ahead of the UEFA Super Cup final - live on TNT Sports and discovery+ - can Spurs now pull off a similar heist and sneak another trophy out of PSG's hands?

For Palmer, see Kudus?

If Palmer was the architect of PSG's downfall back on July 13 in New Jersey, then you can bet new Spurs boss Thomas Frank will have watched back the tape to work out how his new signing Mohammed Kudus - handily, another left footer who drifts between central and right-sided areas - can have the same impact.

Chelsea's touch map graphic from that final showed their fascinating tactical approach, which saw them register just 16 touches (3% of their 459 total) in the central attacking zone of the pitch (inside the black rectangle below).

As Maresca hinted at afterwards, the aim was to isolate PSG's left side, with Joao Pedro pulling the centre-backs away from the middle, giving Palmer and Malo Gusto the space to wreak havoc behind Mendes, as the concentration of right-sided touches shows.

And to confirm the theme, Palmer's touch map from the final displayed how much time he spent wide right, as opposed to the more central role he had been used to playing for The Blues.

Can Kudus give Mendes another torrid evening in Udine, or will PSG boss Luis Enrique set up to counter this now known threat?

PSG fatigue?

After an arduous 65-game season, which was admittedly rewarded with four trophies, including a first UEFA Champions League crown their Qatari owners had so craved, PSG's players are experiencing a thoroughly more condensed summer break than usual, as the numbers show.

MilestonePSGSpursWhen 24/25 season endedJul 13May 21Summer break (days)2345When 25/26 pre-season beganAug 6Jul 5Pre-season prep (days)638

Quite aside from the short period of rest and recovery after the CWC final - exacerbated by flight delays out of the US - Enrique has had just SIX days to get his returning team into shape for a final.

On paper, this imbalance would surely favour Spurs, but then finals were never won on paper...

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Back-to-back trophies for Spurs?

After the famine...comes the feast?

Could Spurs, after so long without a trophy, win back-to-back finals?

Ange Postecoglou delivered on his second-season promise, but the Australian coach - as well as his captain Son Heung-min - are now departed, meaning it is now over to new man Frank to try and secure more silverware.

It would also be the first trophy of the Dane's senior managerial career, with his only other title being the Syrenka Cup with Denmark U17s in 2010.

If Spurs - rocked by the ACL injury suffered by James Maddison - do get over the line against PSG, it would be the first time they have won two trophies in a calendar year since 1991, when they won the FA Cup and then shared the Community Shield.

Entering the season with a new manager, new signings and another new trophy would ratchet up the feelgood factor - and expectations - among the club's fanbase.

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What quirk features in the UEFA Super Cup final?

Unlike its fellow UEFA finals, the UEFA Super Cup does not feature extra time, with matters proceeding straight to a penalty shoot-out if the scores are level.

When is the UEFA Super Cup final?

The UEFA Super Cup final kicks off at 8pm UK time on Wednesday, August 13.

Coverage starts from 7pm on TNT Sports 1, TNT Sports Ultimate and discovery+, live from the Stadio Friuli in Udine, Italy.

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