After returning to action with a 2-1 win over Paris FC last Sunday at the Parc des Princes on Matchday 17 of Ligue 1, Luis Enrique and his players headed to Kuwait for the Trophée des Champions and the clash with the Olympians. Facing their great rivals, the objective was clear: win the Trophée des Champions, get 2026 off to a perfect start and clinch the first title up for grabs at the beginning of the year.
In front of 52,215 spectators at the Kuwaiti stadium, Paris got off to a strong start with Warren Zaïre-Emery breaking down the right wing and crossing for Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who failed to get his shot on target (2'). Marseille responded and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg headed a corner kick over Lucas Chevalier's goal (4'). Again from a corner, the Rouge et Bleu goalkeeper made another decisive save, this time from Balerdi's shot from close range (7'). After a superb run, Zaïre-Emery crossed again, this time finding Nuno Mendes, whose header went wide (9').
The match started with both teams trading attacks without making much of a difference, until Vitinha recovered the ball in Marseille's half and passed to Ousmane Dembélé, who beat Geronimo Rulli with a lob (1-0, 13'). After a one-two with Kvara, Mendes found himself in the box but the Argentine keeper pushed it away (20'). Mason Greenwood (18'), Igor Paixao (31') and Timothy Weah (40') on one side, Marquinhos (21'), Dembélé (26') and Vitinha (44') on the other, all missed the target, and Lucas Chevalier distinguished himself again with a save from Amine Gouiri's point-blank shot (34').
After the break, the Parisian goalkeeper was once again decisive, stopping shots from Paixao (56') and Gouiri (57'). Paris then tried to increase their lead, but João Neves was denied by Rulli and Désiré Doué failed to hit the target (62'). Aubameyang, who had come on a minute earlier, thought he had equalised, but Pacho made a superb recovery (69'). Then, the Gabonese forward sent Greenwood through on goal, but Chevalier brought him down and Mr Léonard pointed to the penalty spot (74').
Greenwood faced the red and blue number 30 and shot to the left to level the score (1-1, 76'). The evening soon turned into a nightmare when Traoré broke down the left and crossed to Aubameyang, before Pacho slid the ball into his own net (1-2, 87'). The match had turned on its head, and OM thought they had secured the win. But Paris threw everything they had left into the battle and, in added time, Vitinha found Barcola behind the Marseille defence, who headed the ball back into the centre for Ramos to volley past Rulli (2-2, 90+5)!
It was time for the penalty shootout. Chevalier (voted man of the match) was outstanding, stopping attempts by O'Riley and Traoré, while Ramos, Vitinha, Mendes and Doué found the back of the net to help the capital club win its 14th Trophée des Champions (building on the record), the fourth in a row, and first trophy in 2026, which is off to the same start as last year. Time to celebrate but also to build on this victory on Monday, once again against PFC, still at the Parc, in the round of 32 of the Coupe de France, kick-off at 9:10 p.m.
