The championship trophy stands pitchside.

KUWAIT CITY, Jan 7: Paris Saint-Germain and Marseille will meet for the first time at Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium tonight at 9:00 p.m., as Kuwait hosts a special edition of the French Super Cup for the first time.

Marseille arrived in Kuwait on Monday evening and held two training sessions, the first at Jaber Al-Mubarak Stadium and the second at the main match venue. Paris Saint-Germain arrived earlier and completed a single training session at Jaber Stadium.

The President of the Kuwait Football Association, Sheikh Ahmad Al-Yousef, welcomed the Paris Saint-Germain delegation, attended by Bashar Abdullah, Director of the Public Authority for Sport, Abdulmohsen Al-Faqan, Chairman of Kuwait Airways, and Dr. Saleh Al-Majroub, Secretary General of the Association.

Marseille head coach Roberto De Zerbi named his squad for the match, featuring several high-profile players, including Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Mason Greenwood, Matt O’Riley, Geoffrey Kondogbia, Emil Højbjerg, Emerson Palmieri, Benjamin Pavard, and Facundo Medina.

Meanwhile, Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique selected a strong lineup led by Marquinhos, Ousmane Dembélé, Vitinha, Fabian Ruiz, Gonçalo Ramos, Bradley Barcola, Warren Zaïre-Emery, and Nuno Mendes.

PSG will be without several key players due to international duty and injuries. Moroccan defender Achraf Hakimi and Senegalese Ibrahim Mbaye are away with their national teams at the Africa Cup of Nations, while injuries have ruled out Kang-in Lee, Matvey Safonov, and Quentin Ndjantou.

In the French league standings, PSG sits second with 39 points, just one point behind leader  Lens, while Marseille is third on 32 points after 17 rounds.

The match will be officiated by a French refereeing team, headed by international referee Thomas Léonard

By Hassan Mosa

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff