Having drawn to within a point of French league leaders Lille, Marseille will bid to retain their French League Cup title when they meet Montpellier in the final tonight.

Last season’s success in the competition, a 3-1 defeat of then holders Bordeaux, ended Marseille’s 17-year wait for major honours and proved the catalyst for the club’s first league title since 1992.

This year’s finalists met just a week ago in the French top flight, with OM coming from behind to win 2-1 and thereby close the gap on pace-setters Lille.

“The two games are very close together, but Saturday (today) will be a completely different match,” Marseille coach Didier Deschamps said.

“There’ll be the context of the Stade de France, for a final. There’ll be no points at stake but a title to win.”

The victory at Montpellier may have galvanised Marseille’s league title defence but it also came at a cost.

Forward Loic Remy was sent off for clashing with Montpellier’s Abdelhamid El Kaoutari after winning the penalty from which Taye Taiwo completed Marseille’s comeback.

The former Nice and Lyon player is therefore suspended for today’s game, along with El Kaoutari, who was also sent off for his role in the fracas.

Nigerian forward John Utaka, a January signing from Portsmouth, is a doubt for Montpellier with an adductor muscle problem as coach Rene Girard faces a taxing decision over who to select in goal.

Geoffrey Jourdren is the club’s first-choice keeper but long-serving Laurent Pionnier has appeared in the last three matches in the competition.

It is believed that 17,000 Montpellier fans will make the trip to Paris, to watch their team’s attempt to win a first major trophy since the 1990 French Cup.

“For the Marseille players, it would be almost normal to win,” said Montpellier striker Olivier Giroud, a pre-season signing from Ligue 2 side Tours.

“But for us it would be a real exploit and it would be great for the club if we managed to lift this title. We’ll do everything to win it and bring the cup back to Montpellier.”

History will be made regardless of the result, with the match to be presided over by a team of five match officials for the first time in the competition’s history.