RC Lens stuns PSG 1-0 in Trophée des Champions despite a red card. Thauvin scores the winner as Paris wastes chances.
As part of the 2026 Trophee des Champions, PSG faced Lens at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis, and it was the home side that won 1-0 thanks to a goal by Florian Thauvin in the half-hour of play. Paris largely dominated on the whole, Lens having played a big half-hour with 10 men, but never managed to beat Robin Risser for all that.
PSG kicked off and played for a long time without success, but the opening seconds showed Doue on the right and Akliouche in the middle (1st minute). The start of the match was lively, and Lens played with good intensity (3rd). Paris won the first corner, but the pass to Kvara was not understood (5th). PSG won the ball high; Doue served Kvara, who shot hard from 20 meters, but Risser pushed it away well; Akliouche recovered and tried his luck, wide (8th).
Little by little, Paris took control of the match, and Doue played a corner quickly. It was poorly cleared at the far post, and Kvara attempted a volley that was skewed (12th). A Lens defender messed up; Akliouche was in an excellent position, but Ganiou saved his side (13th)! The left-footer was less fortunate on a badly aimed shot (13th). PSG had the match in hand, and Lens defended lower and lower, but held better from then on despite a nice rush from Doue into the box (22nd).
Lens had an excellent counterattack, but Ivanovic saw Beraldo tackle him superbly in the box (25th). Akliouche held up play and feinted in the box before finding Doue, who could not really shoot (28th). Zabarnyi cleared a dangerous cross, but Lens won it back, and Vitinha gave the first corner to the hosts (30th).
In barely believable fashion, Lens opened the scoring. Udol completely missed his shot, but Thauvin was there at the far post to score from close range (1-0, 32nd). On the play, Pacho took an elbow and was bleeding, but the referees did not seem to care.
The goal did the hosts good, and they pushed, but Sima missed his cross (38th). Turn of events: Kylian Antonio smashed into Akliouche in midfield and was sent off directly (39th)!
That logical red card reenergized PSG, but Zaire-Emery was too short on a pass from Vitinha (42nd). PSG won the ball very high, held it, then shot from a tight angle, and the crossbar pushed it away (45th+3). At halftime, PSG was trailing very illogically, as Lens had been dominated, and Racing brought off its centre-forward Ivanovic for Aguilar right at the break to make up for the sending-off.
Lens played quickly up front, but Safonov defended well with his head in front of his box (46th). Kvara managed to slip the ball to Digne on the left, but the cross was caught easily by Risser (48th). Hakimi crossed long, but Digne laid it back; it was poorly cleared, and Vitinha was alone 16 meters from goal but missed the target (50th).
Paris resumed its march forward, and Kvaratskhelia found Vitinha in the box, but he put it out from six meters all alone (55th). Thauvin managed to win a corner; it was pushed away onto Cuisance, who sent a nice volley that Safonov caught well on his line (56th). Ganiou countered Doue and went up half the field, then passed to Thauvin, who shot from 20 meters but did not hit the target (58th).
At the hour mark, Luis Enrique brought on Nuno Mendes, Ruiz and Dembele, and the left-back immediately sent a shot just over (61st). Mendes came very close to equalising at the end of a crazy combination in the box, but Risser pushed it away (62nd). On the following play, Dembele tried to curl one with his left foot, just wide (62nd).
Served through the middle, Desire Doue sent a very powerful shot from distance, but he did not hit the target (69th). Zaire-Emery sent in a cross that caused panic when Mayulu reached it in front of Risser, but he couldn't follow up (71st). Paris managed to counter with Dembele and Doue combining; the former shot with his left foot, but Risser was able to push it away at the near post (74th).
PSG thought it had equalised through Ruiz after a lay-off from Doue on a pass from Vitinha, but he was offside (76th). The goal was disallowed, reviewed and confirmed offside. Paris had another counter, and Dembele slipped the ball to Doue, who shot with his left foot, and Risser pushed it away (77th). Doue pulled off an incredible technical display; the ball dropped in front of goal onto Dembele, who completely missed his volley alone in front of goal (81st).
Paris kept pushing, but Lens held firm and even countered: Fofana cut the ball back for Skoras, who missed the unmissable (86th). On the ensuing clearance, Nuno Mendes was sent off for a bad gesture at a Lens player (87th).
Ruiz fouled Fofana; Lens continued the play and scored, but the goal was logically disallowed (89th). The end of the match was boiling, with many cards handed out, but Hakimi missed his scissor kick in the box (91st). Doue tried his luck again, but Risser caught it easily (92nd). Safonov came up well on the final corner, but it was pushed away, along with a foul for Lens (96th).
