Nuno Mendes gets PSG party started in Super Cup shootout win against Spurs

 Paris Saint-Germain 2-2 Tottenham (4-3 pens)

PSG score two late goals to set up shootout

It turns out the DNA of serial ­winners cannot be developed within three months. Tottenham should have been able to announce themselves kings of the continent here in Udine, flimsy though any grand statements after a Uefa Super Cup win might be. Thomas Frank had challenged them to back up the heroics of Bilbao with a statement in the Friulian heat and, by the evening’s end, he should have been basking in the kind of start that can define a new manager’s tenure.

Thomas Frank after his Tottenham team lost the Uefa Super Cup final on penalties to Paris Saint-Germain

‘Very, very proud’: Thomas Frank hails Tottenham players after PSG defeat

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Instead he received a reminder that there is no quick fix to some deep-rooted habits. For long periods Spurs, faced with a lethargic Paris Saint-Germain, resembled a perfectly imprinted version of the Frank playbook. They pummelled their ­opponents in the air, their two-goal lead owing much to well-executed free-kicks and plenty more havoc arising besides. On top of that they looked at ease with a three-man back line that gave a stellar attack little encouragement. With five minutes of regulation time left there was no sign they would be subjected to penalty-inflicted torment.

Then the PSG substitute Lee Kang‑in rifled past Guglielmo Vicario from 20 yards and, for the first time, the Champions League holders looked clear-eyed. By contrast ­Tottenham had sunk back and there was a familiar yawning dread when, simply unable to find a way out by now, they saw six added minutes held up on the touchline.

In the fourth of them Gonçalo Ramos glanced in a cross from the otherwise quiet Ousmane Dembélé and Frank will be aware of the surgery still needed on a squad whose backbone is too accustomed to splintering.

Not that anyone could judge too harshly. There will certainly be no recriminations for Micky van de Ven or Mathys Tel, who both erred in the shootout and rendered a Vitinha miss irrelevant. Van de Ven was denied by the highly scrutinised PSG debutant Lucas Chevalier, who had a mixed night, and Tel wafted his spot kick wide. It left Nuno Mendes to score the clincher and leave a resounding message that the best in class are never really down and out.

Used correctly it is a lesson that will serve Spurs and Frank admirably. They looked well ahead of schedule for the majority, even allowing for the fact PSG appeared addled by a calendar that leaves them neither rested nor match sharp. Frank wants to add at least one big ticket signing to their attack but will have been enthused by the ball carrying of Mohammed Kudus, who was both tireless and effective, and some of the Ghanaian’s combinations with Richarlison. When Tottenham expressed themselves it was because, full of running, they had earned the right.

But it was their booming, dominant presence from crosses that caused the most unrest. In the warm-up Frank’s players had lined up en masse to practise attacking set pieces, an unusual sight in time usually given to rondos and shooting drills. It foreshadowed what would follow. Kevin Danso’s long throw was utilised from the opening minutes and, the first time Spurs won a free-kick on halfway, Vicario was called to launch it boxwards.

On the second occasion, they scored. Vicario unloaded another of those long, deep deliveries and Cristian Romero connected beyond the far post. The ball ricocheted and, after Chevalier brilliantly touched João Palhinha’s strike onto the bar, Van de Ven followed up. Frank referred afterwards to a “special operation” from such routines and, at that point, Spurs were delivering on their mission.

Three minutes into the second half a deep Pedro Porro free-kick found Romero, announced before kick-off as the new captain, peeling around the back to plant a downwards header across Chevalier. In truth the keeper should have saved, applying a painfully weak hand to Romero’s attempt. PSG’s buildup had been dominated by Luis Enrique’s jettisoning of Gianluigi Donnarumma and any live feed from the Italian’s sofa would presumably have made compulsive viewing.

Danso could have added a third. PSG, laboured and irritable, were resorting to the kind of desperate foul Willian Pacho committed on Pape Matar Sarr after gifting him a route towards goal. Spurs’ fans could sense a party in sleepy Udine but instead were dealt a lesson in the risks that come with dining among the elite.

'Jota was with me' - Trent's tribute after Real Madrid win.

 'Jota was with me' - Trent's tribute after Real Madrid win.

Trent Alexander-Arnold says former Liverpool team-mate Diogo Jota "was there with me" after helping Real Madrid reach the Club World Cup semi-finals.

Alexander-Arnold and Jota spent five years together at Liverpool before the England full-back left for Madrid in June.

Jota, aged 28, died in a car crash on Thursday along with his 25-year-old brother Andre Silva. Their joint funeral was held on Saturday in Portugal.

Alexander-Arnold has been featuring for Real Madrid at the Club World Cup in the United States and assisted Fran Garcia's goal in their 3-2 win against Borussia Dortmund in the quarter-final in New Jersey.

He said the news of Jota's death had been "extremely difficult" to take in.

"I had to try to perform for the team and help them win the game, no matter how difficult it was," Alexander-Arnold told DAZN after the game.

"As hard as it was to do it, I had to push myself to focus on what my job and role was. I tried to do it as best as I could, but it was difficult and I am not going to lie about that.

"[Jota] was one of my close friends - and I am sure that's what he would have wanted me to do. I'm sure we would have had a laugh and joke about the assist as well. He was there with me, I am sure."

Alexander-Arnold said the Portuguese forward was "someone who lit up the room when he was in it".

"I shared the dressing room with him for five years - amazing memories on and off the pitch," he added.

"It goes without saying he will never be forgotten by anyone. He will live long in all our memories for the amazing man and the player he was."

Alexander-Arnold said it had been "very emotional and heartwarming to see the footballing world come together to show their love and support for [Jota], his brother and their family".

"I've been around him, his brother, his family, his amazing wife, his amazing parents and his amazing children. It's truly, truly heartbreaking to wake up to news like that," added the England international.

"It's something you never expect."

Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe was among the players who paid tribute to Jota on Saturday, with the France forward indicating number 20 after scoring an acrobatic late goal, in recognition of Jota's Liverpool shirt number.

Frenchman Ousmane Dembele also paid a tribute to the Portuguese by copying his Fifa gaming celebration after sealing a 2-0 win for Paris St-Germain against Bayern Munich, which set up a last-four meeting with Real Madrid.

England playing catch-up - what went wrong against France?

''England playing catch-up - what went wrong against France''?

England became the first defending champions to lose their first match of the next tournament at a women's Euros

It did not go to plan in England's Euro 2025 opener as the holders fell to defeat by France. So where did it all go wrong?

Pundits said the Lionesses were "bullied" and "played into France's hands", while manager Sarina Wiegman felt they "created their own problems" and defender Jess Carter said they "played like they were a little bit scared".

First-half goals from Marie-Antoinette Katoto and Sandy Baltimore were enough to carry the French to victory, despite a late response from Keira Walsh.

Overloaded in midfield, outpaced in defence and second best in one-v-ones, England were given a taste of the level they need to reach if they are to retain their crown.

'Bullied all over the pitch'

The bulk of England's issues seemed to stem from midfield as Georgia Stanway and Walsh were overrun and their opponents were devastating on the break.

Wiegman admitted sloppiness in possession played into France's hands as they pressed hard and took advantage of individual errors.

Captain Leah Williamson was visibly frustrated at full-time and described the errors as "some cheap sort of emotional defending".

France winger Sandy Baltimore won her individual battles with her Chelsea team-mate Lucy Bronze - the England defender losing six duels, the most by any player.

And until Walsh's 87th-minute strike, the Lionesses had not achieved a shot on target.

"I think we played like we were a little bit scared," said Carter.

"Maybe we weren't aggressive enough, maybe we were worrying about their threats in behind and what they can do rather than doing what we can do.

"We didn't do as well on the ball, or off the ball. The only positive to take is the last 10 minutes. I really believed we would get a [second] goal."

England's level seemed to surprise French media, who had largely written off their side's chances when key centre-back Griedge Mbock was ruled out through injury.

"I didn't think the French could play at this level already and I didn't think England could be so disappointing like they were for an hour," French journalist Julien Laurens told BBC Radio 5 Live.

France manager Laurent Bonadei admitted England's explosive start, that saw Lauren James create a handful of chances, took them by surprise. But he felt his side controlled proceedings after that and "physically it was not easy for England".

James' apparent free role certainly looked exciting at the start - but did it leave her side exposed in midfield?

Wiegman's response to that question was emphatic.

"[James] didn't have a total free role. We got exposed by losing balls in moments where we didn't want to lose the ball," she said. "That was the main topic we wanted to find a solution for."

Following the introductions of Chloe Kelly, Grace Clinton and Michelle Agyemang, the Lionesses responded, but too late to change the outcome, and former midfielder Karen Carney was far from impressed.

"It wasn't good enough. We were bullied all over the pitch. We didn't win enough duels. We looked like we've never played together," she told ITV.

"This is our trophy and that wasn't good enough. We played into their hands a little bit too much."

Can England fix things going forward?

Williamson said England left themselves "open to waves" of France's attacking onslaught due to their sloppiness in possession.

But she is confident their gameplan was the right one.

This was their toughest match on paper of the group stage and previous battles with France in Euro 2025 qualifying highlighted their opponents' pedigree.

Ranked 10th in the world, France have largely underwhelmed at major tournaments but manager Bonadei is leading a new era and they are hungry for success.

"I'm just frustrated because I think the football that we played near the end, and the gameplan, could've worked," Williamson told BBC Sport.

"We just didn't execute [the gameplan] exceptionally well. It doesn't look great from the table point of view - but it was two heavyweights going up against each other and we came up short.

"There's still every chance [of winning]. The goal doesn't change."

Defender Alex Greenwood described England's next two matches against the Netherlands and Wales as ones they "must win" - so can they?

They looked much better in the final 10 minutes when they were able to play through France's midfield.

With Baltimore, Katoto and Delphine Cascarino off the pitch, along with their electric pace and skill, England's full-backs were less exposed.

Midfielder Clinton looked assured in her short cameo, teenage forward Agyemang was a menace and Manchester United's Ella Toone played with healthy frustration having been left out of the starting XI for James.

And the bursts of creativity displayed by James in the opening 15 minutes will have given supporters a glimpse of what they can do when it comes together.

Had Clinton replaced Stanway and Toone replaced James earlier, could England have found more security in midfield? If the ball had fallen for Agyemang in stoppage-time, could they have grabbed an equaliser? Had Alessia Russo's disallowed goal stood early on, would England have played less 'scared?'

'We know how to play the game'

Defeat leaves England already playing catch-up in Group D.

With three points on the board for both France and the Netherlands, who beat Wales 3-0, the Lionesses must respond if they hope to reach the quarter-finals.

Only the top two qualify for the knockout stages and England will face 2017 champions the Netherlands on Wednesday, knowing France will be heavy favourites to claim victory against the lowest-ranked nation in the tournament, Wales.

If teams finish on the same points after three matches, it will come down to head-to-head records, putting greater emphasis on England's next match.

"If we play our game to the best, everyone knows that sometimes we're untouchable," said Clinton.

"Obviously getting our passes where they need to go, just the little details, then that would have been able to break down France a little bit more.

"It's tournament football and these things are going to happen."

It was France manager Bonadei, though, who reminded everyone not to write off England.

"England are a really good team. They are fifth in the world rankings and won the last Euros, so we have to respect this team," he said.

And midfielder Toone added they have a "strong mentality" that puts them in good stead for their final group matches.

"We know what it takes to win tournaments and to get to finals in tournaments. We know how to play the game," she added.

"We knew that we always had to win two of these group games to get out, so nothing changes.

"Obviously you want to win all three, but France were good. We conceded goals that by our standards aren't good enough but we have the mentality to go again."