1-0: Lens prevents another title for Luis Enrique’s PSG
Four days after winning the European Super Cup in Salzburg against Aston Villa, the PSG of Luis Enrique He could not add another title to his showcases. He prevented it Lenswhich was imposed in the ‘Trophée des Champions’with a single goal from Thauvin in the first half and a lesson in resistance, since they had to play with ten men from the 39th minute. In their stadium, the Stade Bollaert-Delelis, as determined by a draw, the northern team made history by winning their first French Super Cup.
Luis Enrique rested Joao Neves and regarding Wednesday’s duel against Aston Villa, Marquinhos and Nuno Mendes fell from the eleven. The last two signings of the Parisians, Ferran Torres and Godts, who signed when the deadline to register players for the match had already expired, were not yet called up.
Against a Lens qualified for the Champions League, who won the French Cup last year and who have a new coach with Dino Toppmöller (45 years old) taking the place of Pierre Sage after his departure to Crystal Palace, Kvaratskhelia He led the Parisians’ first attempts and had the first chances, such as a volley after a corner kick that went wide.
At the beginning, PSG’s dominance was almost absolute, but it was Lens that struck first, in its first danger, with a goal from the veteran Florian Thauvin just after the first half hour, with a first-time shot after a cross from Udol. A setback that was made less so when five minutes before the break, Lens was left with ten men due to the direct red card that Antonio saw for a very harsh tackle on Akliouche. Doue He had the tie in his boots in the added time of the first half but his shot went to the crossbar.
Riser, providential under sticks
Already in the second half, PSG began to besiege the rival area and Luis Enrique did not take long to look at the bench and introduced a triple substitution, bringing on Nuno Mendes, Fabián Ruiz and Dembélé. And it was the Portuguese full-back who, as soon as he entered the field, put Lens in trouble, with a one-on-one against Riserwho avoided the tie with a great intervention. Lens continued to resist despite being at a disadvantage, with tireless teamwork. With 15 minutes left, Fabián Ruiz saw his goal disallowed due to a previous offside and shortly after, Dembélé made the mistake in a good position inside the area.
The technical sheet
1 – Lens: Robin Risser; Kyllian Antonio, Pierre Ganiou, Maik Nawrocki; Saud Abdulhamid, Mickael Cuisance (Andrija Bulatovic, m.65), Yacine Titraoui (Amadou Haidara, m.81), Matthieu Udol; Florian Thauvin (Michal Skoras, m.75), Abdallah Sima (Rayan Fofana, m.75) and Franjo Ivanovic (Ruben Aguilar, m.46).
0 – Paris Saint Germain: Matvey Safonov; Achraf Hakimi, Illia Zabarnyi, William Pacho, Lucas Digne (Nuno Mendes, m.60); Warren Zaire Emery (Dro Fernández, m.82), Vitinha, Lucas Beraldo (Fabián Ruiz, m.60); Maghnes Akliouche (Ousmane Dembelé, m.60), Kvicha Kvaratskhelia (Senny Mayulu, m.70) and Desire Doue.
Goal: 1-0, m.32: Florian Thauvin
Referee: Jeremy Pignard. He sent off Kyllian Antonio, from Lens, with a direct red card (m.39), and admonished coach Dino Toppmoller (m.44) and Andrija Bulatovic. Nuno Mendes (m.87) also saw the red and the yellow Fabián Ruiz, Desire Doue and Achraf Hakimi, from Paris Saint Germain.
Stadium: final of the French Super Cup played at the Bollaert Delelis stadium in Lens before about 38,000 spectators.
The tie did not come and Mayulu and Dro entered in the final stretch to give another breath to a PSG that could not find a way to beat a compact Lens that increasingly believed it. The second of Toppmöller’s men could even have arrived, who was able to breathe a bit when Nuno Mendes saw a straight red card for elbowing Skoras in the 87th minute. With the final whistle, Lens’ suffering turned into joy to celebrate a historic Super Cup, the first won by the team from northern France.
