Ten-man Lens secure French Champions’ Trophy against PSG
Lens defeated Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 in the French Champions’ Trophy at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis. This victory marked Lens’ first match under new coach Dino Toppmoeller. The win adds to their French Cup title, which they secured under former coach Pierre Sage in May.
The match saw Lens, who were Ligue 1 runners-up last season, claim the trophy after Florian Thauvin’s first-half goal. PSG, who had recently won the UEFA Super Cup against Aston Villa, struggled to establish their rhythm during the game.
First-Half Action and Key Goal
The game commenced with intense pressing from Dino Toppmoeller’s side, which quickly put PSG under pressure. The breakthrough for Lens occurred in the 32nd minute. Matthieu Udol delivered a low cross into the penalty area, which Thauvin converted from the back post, sending the ball into the net. This goal rewarded Lens’ aggressive approach and highlighted defensive vulnerabilities in the PSG backline.
PSG coach Luis Enrique observed his players struggling to manage the intensity of the game. Despite this, PSG managed a few opportunities through Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. However, Lens comfortably controlled the early exchanges of the match.
Lens had several players making their competitive debuts, including right-back Saud Abdulhamid, centre-back Maik Nawrocki, midfielders Yacine Titraoui and Michael Cuisance, and forward Franjo Ivanovic. Michal Skoras, another new signing, was among the substitutes.
PSG’s starting lineup included Matvey Safonov, Achraf Hakimi, Illia Zabarnyi, Willian Pacho, and Lucas Digne, who made his second debut for the club after rejoining from Aston Villa. Other starters were Warren Zaire-Emery, Vitinha, Beraldo, Maghnes Akliouche, Desire Doue, and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Luis Enrique made three changes to the team that won the Super Cup, with Illia Zabarnyi replacing Marquinhos and Lucas Digne starting instead of Nuno Mendes. Joao Neves also made way for Beraldo. New recruits Mika Godts and Ferran Torres were not involved in the match.
Despite dominating possession in the initial stages, PSG found it difficult to create clear scoring chances. Lens goalkeeper Robin Risser made a comfortable save from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Lens then grew into the contest, taking the lead in the 32nd minute when Thauvin scored from Matthieu Udol’s cross-shot after PSG failed to clear the ball.
Second Half and Red Cards
Six minutes before half-time, Lens faced a setback when Kyllian Antonio was dismissed for a studs-up tackle on Maghnes Akliouche. Despite being a man down, PSG almost capitalised on their advantage before the break, but Desire Doue’s shot from a tight angle hit the crossbar.
The European champions continued to struggle after the restart. Thauvin had another opportunity, flashing a strike wide as Lens continued to pose a threat on the counter-attack. PSG substitute Nuno Mendes nearly equalised with a dipping long-range shot that went narrowly over the bar. Luis Enrique also introduced Fabian Ruiz and Ousmane Dembele from the bench, with Dembele’s effort resulting in a straightforward save for Risser.
In the final minutes of the game, PSG were also reduced to 10 men. Nuno Mendes received a straight red card for elbowing Lens wing-back Michal Skoras off the ball with three minutes remaining. This incident further complicated PSG’s efforts to find an equaliser.
This match marked the first time in three seasons that the Trophee des Champions was contested in France, following games in Kuwait last year and Doha in 2024. The last time the decider was held in Lens, PSG secured a 2-1 victory over Marseille in 2021. PSG had won the previous four editions of the Trophee des Champions since a 1-0 defeat to Lille in 2021, and all but one of the last 13 editions since their triumph in 2013/14. Their last loss in the match in France was in 2006 in Lyon, where they lost on penalties after a 1-1 draw. Since then, PSG has won the trophy on both occasions it has been played in France, including a 2-0 win over Toulouse in 2023. Dembele has scored in the last two editions, including the goal that sealed a 1-0 win over Monaco in 2024 and the opener in last year’s match, which PSG won on penalties after a 2-2 draw. Lens’ only previous appearance in the contest was in 1998, when they lost 1-0 to PSG. Lens has lost their last eight meetings with PSG in all competitions since a 3-1 home win in Ligue 1 on New Year’s Day 2023.
Looking Ahead
PSG will now focus on their upcoming Ligue 1 title defence, with their first match scheduled at home against Rennes in a week’s time. They will be without Nuno Mendes for that fixture due to his dismissal in the French Champions’ Trophy match.
The kick-off for the match on Sunday was at 19:45 BST.
Source: goal.com
