RC Lens wins French Super Cup against PSG after early red card

The match featured two players familiar from Austrian football: Samson Baidoo, who had previously played for Salzburg, was also in the squad. The venue too recalled Austrian football, as the Salzburg-linked figure from the pre-match reports shares the same name. The confusion between German translation and player mix-up had caused bewilderment beforehand, as a player named "Baidoo" from Salzburg appeared in the media – in the end, however, it was Antonio whose disqualification shaped the course of the match.

Background: The Salzburg mix-up

For PSG, the defeat was a setback at the start of the season. The side that had gone into the duel as favourites were unable to convert their superiority on the ball into goals. Time and again, the Parisian attackers came up against Lens's compact defence, which knew how to close off every passing lane going forward.

From RC Lens's perspective, the triumph represented the provisional highlight of a successful pre-season. The coach and players had planned the cup upset and relied on consistency in defence. The fact that it was precisely a former PSG player like Florian Thauvin who scored the decisive goal gave the evening a special flavour.

Significance for the new season

The result means that last season's cup winners can now also add the Super Cup to their trophy cabinet. The club from northern France thereby underlines its rising trajectory in French football.

After the final whistle, the Lens players celebrated exuberantly with their fans, while the PSG players left the pitch disappointed. The coach and officials of the capital club will need to analyse the defeat before the league season gets under way.

The French Super Cup, which traditionally kicks off the new season, has already provided plenty to talk about with its surprise outcome. The coming weeks will show whether PSG can recover from this blow – and whether Lens can carry the momentum into the championship campaign.

Florian Thauvin himself was modest after the match, pointing to the collective team performance. "Wir haben als Team funktioniert", said the goalscorer, without placing his own performance above that of the group. The message was clear: the victory belonged to the team.