Paris Saint-Germain enter Wednesday's UEFA Super Cup in Salzburg as heavy favourites, and it is difficult to mount a convincing argument against them. The French champions lifted the UEFA Champions League trophy just two-and-a-half months ago, and they remain the benchmark for club football across the globe.

Aston Villa arrive at the Red Bull Arena as Europa League champions, having seen off Freiburg in the final, but the gulf in class between the two sides is considerable — and Villa's injury situation makes the task even steeper.

Villa's absences pile up

Unai Emery's side head into the match without several key figures. Amadou Onana is sidelined with a knee injury, new signing Johan Manzambi — a standout performer at this summer's FIFA World Cup — is also unavailable with a knee problem, and goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez is doubtful through a fitness concern.

The blow that looms largest, however, is the £117 million departure of attacking talisman Morgan Rogers to Chelsea. Losing a player of Rogers' dynamism ahead of a major European occasion is a significant setback that Villa cannot easily absorb.

Kvaratskhelia among PSG's freshest options

PSG are not without their own World Cup-related concerns, with several players who went deep into the tournament in the United States, Canada, and Mexico still working their way back to peak condition. The club fielded a youthful side in their 1-1 friendly draw with Manchester United on Saturday, August 8.

Yet Georgian winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia — nicknamed 'Kvaradona' by admirers — completed the full 90 minutes of that fixture and is expected to be among the sharpest players on the pitch in Salzburg. Marquinhos, Nuno Mendes, Vitinha, and Joao Neves each contributed 30 minutes against Manchester United, and all are anticipated to feature.

History favours the Champions League winners

The statistics back PSG firmly. The last seven UEFA Super Cup finals have been claimed by the side that won the Champions League the previous season, a run that underlines just how difficult Aston Villa's night is likely to be.

Both squads carry a pre-season sharpness — or lack thereof — given the compressed summer schedule, and goals from both sides seem plausible. Still, the quality and depth that PSG possess in most positions makes a home triumph for the European champions the only realistic outcome.

Score prediction: PSG 3-1 Aston Villa