RC Lens have made history by winning the Trophée des Champions for the first time, defeating Paris Saint-Germain 1–0 at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis despite playing with ten men for almost an hour.
A Historic Night for RC Lens
RC Lens lifted the Trophée des Champions on Sunday evening after defeating reigning French champions Paris Saint-Germain in a tense opening match of the 2026/27 season.
The home side secured a narrow 1–0 victory, with Florian Thauvin scoring the decisive goal in the first half. Lens were later reduced to ten men, but their determined defensive display kept PSG at bay until the final whistle.
The victory marks the first Trophée des Champions triumph in Lens’ history. The club had previously appeared in the competition only once, in 1998, when they lost to PSG.
Thauvin Gives Lens the Lead
PSG dominated possession during the opening stages but struggled to create clear-cut opportunities.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia tested Lens goalkeeper Robin Risser twice, but neither attempt resulted in a goal. Lens then found the breakthrough in the 32nd minute.
A scuffed effort from Matthieu Udol turned into an unexpected assist, with Thauvin reacting quickly at the far post to fire Lens ahead.
Lens Reduced to Ten Men
Lens’ advantage was short-lived when Kyllian Antonio was shown a red card in the 39th minute following a challenge on Maghnes Akliouche.
Playing with ten men, Lens were forced into a long defensive battle.
PSG nearly equalised before half-time when Désiré Doué cut inside and struck the crossbar with a powerful effort.
PSG Turn Up the Pressure
PSG increased the pressure after the break, with Luis Enrique introducing Nuno Mendes, Fabián Ruiz and Ousmane Dembélé as his team searched for an equaliser.
Mendes came close in the 62nd minute, but Risser produced an important save. Doué then fired narrowly over the crossbar, while Senny Mayulu and Dembélé also threatened the Lens goal.
Risser continued to impress, making another crucial stop to deny Dembélé in the 73rd minute.
PSG Goal Disallowed for Offside
PSG thought they had found the equaliser in the 76th minute.
Vitinha released Achraf Hakimi, who quickly laid the ball off to Fabián Ruiz. The Spaniard finished the move, but the goal was ruled out for a narrow offside.
PSG continued pushing forward, with Dembélé missing a huge opportunity from close range after another dangerous run from Doué.
Dramatic Finish
The final minutes descended into chaos as both teams battled desperately.
Lens almost doubled their advantage on the counter-attack through Michal Skoras, but another offside flag stopped the move.
Moments later, PSG were also reduced to ten men when Nuno Mendes was shown a red card in the 87th minute after an altercation involving Skoras.
Despite throwing everything forward, PSG could not find a way past Risser and the resilient Lens defence.
Lens Make History
The final whistle confirmed a historic achievement for RC Lens.
RC Lens 1–0 PSG
Thauvin’s first-half goal proved enough as Lens held on with ten men to claim their first-ever Trophée des Champions.
For PSG, the defeat ended hopes of adding another trophy after their recent UEFA Super Cup success, while Lens celebrated one of the most memorable victories in the club’s history.