Paris Saint-Germain failed to win the Trophee des Champions for the first time in five seasons as Florian Thauvin’s strike gave Lens victory over the Champions League holders despite the hosts spending much of the match with a numerical disadvantage at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis.
PSG had won 12 of the previous 13 editions of the showpiece but conceded the winner in the 32nd minute after Matthieu Udol miscued a shot, catching PSG’s defence out by inadvertently sending the ball across the penalty area for the unmarked Flauvin to tap in at the far post.
Kyllian Antonio was shown a straight red card six minutes before half-time for Lens after catching Maghnes Akliouche’s ankle with a tackle, holding his face in his shirt while his teammates and coaching staff protested.
Desire Doue shot against the crossbar from a tight angle on the stroke of half-time and Robin Risser made an excellent second-half save from PSG’s Nuno Mendes, who received a straight red card with four minutes remaining for swinging an arm at Michal Skoras near the halfway line.
Udol had a goal disallowed after finding the net with a diving header with two minutes remaining, but Lens held on to end their eight-match losing run in the fixture in all competitions and lift the first trophy of the season in the French domestic game.
RED CARD 🟥
Lens’ Kyllian Antonio is shown a straight red for this challenge… Was it the right call? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/pe4XPXYkeE
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) August 16, 2026
Lens vs PSG: Ligue 1 holders beaten
PSG had not lost a cup match since January and their fans were surely expecting an equaliser with an extra player and Ballon d’Or contenders Ousmane Dembele and Fabian Ruiz introduced after 60 minutes.
Risser beat an early Khvicha Kvaratskhelia shot away and Dembele, who scored six goals for France at the World Cup, tested the goalkeeper with a low shot, but Lens showed why they won last season’s French Cup and finished only behind PSG in the top flight with an astute tactical display.
World Cup winner Ruiz thought he had equalised with 15 minutes remaining, only to be denied by a tight offside call.
Former Senegal international Ricardo Faty called Flauvin’s performance “hugely impressive”. “He set an example for his teammates,” added Faty.
“Lens fully deserve this trophy in front of their supporters. It was hard and it was tense at the end.”
Desire Doue flashes a shot off the bar for PSG!
Watch the Trophée des Champions live on ITV4 now 📺 pic.twitter.com/sv6q4uqD6L
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) August 16, 2026
PSG team vs Lens
PSG made three changes, bringing in Illia Zabarnyi for Marquinhos at centre-back and starting new signing Lucas Digne at left-back in place of Mendes.
Midfielder Joao Neves also made way for Beraldo. Luis Enrique’s newest recruits, winger Mika Godts and forward Ferran Torres, were not involved.
Paris Saint-Germain starting XI: Matvey Safonov, Achraf Hakimi, Illia Zabarnyi, Willian Pacho, Lucas Digne, Warren Zaire-Emery, Vitinha, Beraldo, Maghnes Akliouche, Desire Doue, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
Paris Saint-Germain substitutes: Lucas Chevalier, Marquinhos, Fabian Ruiz, Ousmane Dembele, Lucas Hernandez, Senny Mayulu, Nuno Mendes, Dro Fernandez, Quentin Ndjantou
Lens team vs PSG
Right-back Saud Abdulhamid, centre-back Maik Nawrocki, midfielders Yacine Titraoui and Michael Cuisance and forward Franjo Ivanovic made their competitive debuts for Lens.
Among RC’s other new signings, left-winger Skoras was initially on the bench.
Lens starting XI: Robin Risser, Kyllian Antonio, Ismael Ganiou, Maik Nawrocki, Saud Abdulhamid, Michael Cuisance, Yacine Titraoui, Matthieu Udol, Florian Thauvin, Franjo Ivanovic, Abdallah Sima
Lens substitutes: Mathieu Gorgelin, Ruben Aguilar, Andrija Bulatovic, Florian Sotoca, Rayan Fofana, Amadou Haidara, Michal Skoras, Souleymane Sagnan, Mezian Mesloub
Lens vs PSG stats
- The Champions League holders beat Marseille on penalties in the 2025 contest and had already lifted a trophy this week, beating Premier League side Villa 2-1 in the Super Cup in Salzburg on Wednesday
- This was the first time in three seasons that the Trophee des Champions had been contested in France, with the game taking place in Kuwait last year and Doha in 2024
- The decider had been held in Lens once previously, resulting in a 2-1 PSG win over Marseille in 2021 through Mauro Icardi and Neymar goals
- Both meetings between these sides produced 2-0 PSG wins last season, Bradley Barcola scoring twice at the Parc des Princes in September 2025 and Khvacha Kvaratskhelia and Ibrahim Mbaye netting to complete a Ligue 1 double in May 2026
- PSG had won the preceding four editions of the Trophee des Champions since a 1-0 defeat to Lille in 2021
- Their most recent defeat in the match in France had come when it was hosted by Lyon in 2006, taking the lead through Jerome Rothen but losing on penalties after a 1-1 draw
- Since then, PSG had won the trophy on both occasions when they had participated in the game in France, following up that win over Marseille with a 2-0 win over Toulouse in 2023 at the Parc des Princes, where Lee Kang-in and Kylian Mbappe scored
- Dembele had scored in the preceding two editions, starting with the goal to seal a 1-0 win over Monaco as PSG kept a third straight Trophee des Champions clean sheet in 2024
- The France striker then scored the opener in last year’s match, although PSG needed Goncalo Ramos’ equaliser during the fifth minute of the second half in regular time to secure a 2-2 draw before prevailing via spot kicks
- Lens’ only previous appearance in the contest had been in 1998, losing 1-0 to PSG through Yann Lachuer’s goal in Tours
- Their previous victory against PSG had been a 3-1 home win in Ligue 1 on New Year’s Day 2023
