PSG begin title defence against Lens with Trophee des Champions favourites tag

Paris Saint-Germain begin the new season as clear favourites when they face Lens in the Trophee des Champions at Stade Bollaert-Delelis on Sunday, 16 August 2026, with kick-off at 18:45 GMT.

The match brings together the two leading French sides from last season, but PSG arrive with the stronger recent record and a significant psychological advantage. Paris have won seven of their past eight meetings with Lens and also eliminated them on penalties in the 2024/25 Coupe de France.

PSG’s most recent visit to Bollaert ended in a convincing 2-0 victory, further underlining the scale of the challenge facing the hosts.

The game will be shown on Canal+ in France, Amazon Prime Video in Germany and the United Kingdom, and Paramount+, CBS, Fubo, DAZN and TUDN / ViX in the United States. Viewers in Canada can watch on DAZN, while Canal+ Sport Afrique will carry the match in Africa. Stan Sport will broadcast it in Australia, TNT Sports in Brazil and ESPN across Latin America.

Lens will enter the contest after a strong campaign in 2025/26. RC Lens won the Coupe de France against Nice and finished second in Ligue 1, pushing PSG hard during the season.

However, the club has undergone a managerial change during the summer. Pierre Sage left Lens to join Crystal Palace and was replaced by German coach Dino Toppmoller, the former Frankfurt manager.

Lens have made a positive start to their pre-season preparations. The Sang et Or defeated Boulogne 4-1 before recording an impressive 3-0 victory against Crystal Palace.

PSG, though, have even greater momentum and an imposing record in this competition. They have won the Trophee des Champions 14 times and lifted the trophy for a fourth consecutive year after another remarkable campaign.

Luis Enrique is beginning his fourth season in charge. Under his leadership, PSG completed a historic quintuple last season, retaining the Ligue 1 title ahead of Lens and winning the Champions League on penalties against Arsenal.

Paris also secured silverware before this match, beating Aston Villa 2-1 in the UEFA Super Cup on Wednesday. That result means they have already opened their account for the new campaign and will travel to Lens with another trophy behind them.

Their pre-season results were less convincing, with a 2-0 defeat by Mallorca followed by a 1-1 draw against Manchester United. Even so, PSG’s depth, experience and competitive rhythm make them the stronger side on paper.

Lens are expected to provide a passionate challenge in front of their home supporters, but PSG’s recent dominance in this fixture and their early-season success leave them in command of the pre-match outlook.

Africafoot’s prediction is a 3-1 victory for PSG.

The betting company 1xbet has listed Lens at 4.60 to win, with a draw priced at 4.10 and a PSG victory at 1.70.