January 09, (THEWILL) — Paris Saint-Germain claimed their fourth consecutive Trophee des Champions title on Thursday after defeating Marseille 4-2 on penalties following a 2-2 draw in Kuwait. Goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier proved the hero by denying Matt O’Riley and Hamad Traore from the spot before Desire Doue struck the winning penalty.
Ousmane Dembele gave PSG the lead in the 13th minute with a clever chip over Geronimo Rulli after Vitinha pounced on a poor clearance. Chevalier had earlier kept out Leonardo Balerdi’s header, and despite controlling the opening period, PSG failed to add to their advantage before the break.
Marseille responded in the second half and levelled through Mason Greenwood’s 74th-minute penalty after the forward was fouled by Chevalier. The visitors then took the lead with three minutes remaining when Willian Pacho turned Hamad Traore’s low cross into his own net.
Goncalo Ramos forced the shootout with a powerful finish in the 95th minute, converting Bradley Barcola’s knockdown. Doue had earlier rattled the post with a fierce long-range strike during a tense finale.
Ramos converted PSG’s opening penalty before Chevalier made his crucial saves. Although Rulli nearly stopped attempts from Vitinha and Mendes, PSG completed another trophy success of the campaign.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
