Paris Saint-Germain scored twice in the final 10 minutes before beating Tottenham Hotspur on penalties to lift the Uefa Super Cup for the very first time in the club’s history.
Micky Van de Ven and new club captain Cristian Romero had given Tottenham an impressive two-goal lead at Bluenergy Stadium but Luis Enrique’s Champions League winners clawed themselves back into the game courtesy of late goals from substitutes Lee Kang-In and Goncalo Ramos.
For the French club, it further asserted their growing dominance in European football, while for the north Londoners it was defeat snatched from the jaws of victory.
But Spurs supporters can take comfort from a largely assured and risk-averse display; going toe-to-toe with the Champions League winners to usher in the Thomas Frank era.
The Danish manager’s blueprints were all over Tottenham’s gameplan; one that for long periods Enrique’s all-conquering team had few answers to.
Promising signs from Spurs
After an even start to the match, it was PSG who looked to lay the first punch, with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia turning neatly in the Spurs penalty area before firing his effort off target.
But Spurs, appearing more direct in their play than they did under former manager Ange Postecoglou, looked threatening on the counter.
The lively Mohammed Kudus fed Richarlison down the inside-right. The Brazilian opted for a first-time strike from distance, which was tipped behind by Lucas Chevalier after getting a slight nick from Pacho on its way to goal.
Rodrigo Bentancur headed wide from the resulting corner but the early Spurs signs were promising.
And that early promise eventually paid off when, six minutes before half-time, the north London club broke the deadlock.
PSG failed to deal with a free kick into the box, allowing Bentancur to head across goal goal from the left.
The ball found its way to Palhinha, whose rising shot was expertly saved onto the bar by Chevalier, but Van de Ven was on hand to steer home the rebound.
Kudus then hit the frame of the goal as Spurs went close to doubling their advantage late in the half.
But no sooner than two minutes after the restart, Frank’s men did indeed extend their lead, new club captain Romero heading home from another free-kick that Chevalier perhaps should have done better with.
The all-conquering European champions were stunned. Spurs were in dreamland; less than 45-minutes away from another continental crown.
A PSG resurgence
Having not a shot on target for well over an hour, PSG then showed signs of life when they had a goal chalked off for offside in the 64th minute.
It felt like it was one of those nights – a statement to be taken positively or negatively depending on which team’s perspective it was being viewed from.
Tottenham threw on Archie Gray and Dominic Solanke as they looked to freshen things up to see out the game.
Enrique’s team wrestled back momentum in the final quarter of an hour and the pressure yielded a breakthrough when substitute Lee’s low drive halved the deficit with just five minutes left to play.
With PSG smelling blood, the comeback was complete deep into stoppage time, Goncalo Ramos – another substitute – heading in Dembele’s cross to send the game to a penalty shootout.
In the battle of the spot-kicks, it was PSG who came out on top, again recovering from Vitinha’s opening miss to win 4-3 after Van de Ven and Mathys Tel were denied for Tottenham.
For Spurs fans, it was so nearly a welcome reminder of the old adage about buses. But, for 80 impressive minutes it was maybe, just maybe, a sign of things to come.
