A stunning surprise under Zidane's gaze: Lens shock Paris with 10 players | Goal.com

Published on 16 Aug 2026 | Reading time: 2 minutes

Lens dealt a heavy blow to Paris Saint-Germain, beating them 1-0 on Sunday evening at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis to claim the 2026 French Champions Trophy.

The European champions arrived just days after lifting the UEFA Super Cup at the expense of Aston Villa, eyeing another title before the French league season kicked off. Zinedine Zidane, the new head coach of the France national team, watched from the stands.

Paris began on the attack and came close to opening the scoring more than once. Lens's defence and their goalkeeper Risser held firm against Kvaratskhelia, Doué and Akliouche, before the hosts made the most of one of their counter-attacks.

In the 32nd minute, Florian Thauvin appeared at the far post, seized on a ball inside the penalty area and buried it in the Paris Saint-Germain net. Lens had a surprise lead against the European champions.

Then came a setback. The referee brandished a red card at Kilian Antonio for a reckless challenge on Akliouche, leaving Lens to finish the match with 10 players from the 39th minute.

A man down, Lens preserved their lead until half-time. Doué's attempt struck the crossbar in stoppage time, and the hosts went in ahead by a clean goal.

Paris piled on enormous pressure at the start of the second half, cashing in on their numerical advantage. Luis Enrique threw on attacking cards, among them Nuno Mendes, Ruiz and Dembélé, but Lens's defence and their goalkeeper put in a heroic display.

Risser dealt with more than one dangerous chance as the attempts kept coming. Dembélé squandered a precious opportunity, a Ruiz goal was ruled out for offside, and the Parisian struggle went on against the hosts' resistance.

The drama did not stop there. Paris suffered a fresh blow with the sending-off of Nuno Mendes, levelling the numbers in the final minutes, and Lens kept their focus until the final whistle.

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