Florian Thauvin’s first-half strike secured the Trophee des Champions for 10-man Lens, who defeated Paris Saint-Germain 1-0.
The Coupe de France holders were reduced to 10 men just seven minutes after Thauvin’s 32nd-minute opener when Kyllian Antonio was sent off.
PSG thought they had found an equaliser late in the game through Fabian Ruiz, but his effort was ruled out for offside. Nuno Mendes was also shown a straight red card, but Lens held firm to claim the trophy for the first time.
PSG began brightly, with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia forcing an early save while Maghnes Akliouche fired wide as Luis Enrique’s side searched for the breakthrough.
Lens took the lead in the 32nd minute after Matthieu Udol’s scuffed effort went wide. Thauvin had remained onside and pounced on the loose ball before calmly slotting it past Matvey Safonov.
Lens’ advantage was quickly threatened when Antonio received a straight red for a late challenge on Akliouche, with the defender leading with his studs.
Desire Doue almost punished Lens for their numerical disadvantage just before half-time, striking the corner of the goalframe from a tight angle on the right side of the box.
PSG continued to press after the interval, and Fabian appeared to have levelled in the 77th minute when he calmly sent a low shot beyond Robin Risser. However, the goal was ruled out after an offside in the build-up.
Ousmane Dembele then missed from close range, while Mendes was dismissed in the 87th minute after catching Michal Skoras with his elbow.
With both teams reduced to 10 men, Lens pushed for a second goal and thought they had sealed the win through Udol’s diving header. Although he beat Safonov from close range, the referee had already stopped play for a foul earlier in the move.
Toppmoller ends PSG’s dominance
Lens were PSG’s nearest challengers in last season’s Ligue 1 title race, eventually finishing six points behind the champions. They nevertheless completed an impressive campaign by winning the Coupe de France.
That triumph came under Pierre Sage, but Dino Toppmoller has now added another trophy since taking charge, guiding Lens to their first Trophee des Champions victory.
Lens had previously featured in the competition only once, in 1998, when they lost 1-0 to PSG. This time, they reversed that result.
PSG had won the trophy in each of the previous four seasons and were seeking a record-extending 15th title. Despite registering 22 shots and producing 1.47 expected goals (xG), they were unable to break down a determined Lens defence.
Luis Enrique’s men had already lifted the Super Cup this week, but they will be frustrated at missing another opportunity to add to their growing collection of silverware.
Lens, meanwhile, showed impressive resilience after spending almost an hour with 10 men. The victory will give Toppmoller plenty of confidence heading into the new season as Lens look to challenge PSG once again.