RC Lens – Paris Saint-Germain: Toppmöller Era Begins With Trophée Des Champions Victory (1-0)

The Trophée des Champions, for the first time since 2022, would be back in its usual spot in the calendar as the curtain raiser for the French top flight. Coupe de France winners RC Lens would host Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis, in a match that would confirm that while Lens are much changed from last season, they still have a lot of fight left in them. 

Tactical analysis and match report by Nick Hartland.

It’s another summer of transition for RC Lens, with the club entering their third season in a row with a new manager at the helm. Pierre Sage’s departure to Crystal Palace made way for former Eintracht Frankfurt boss Dino Toppmöller to take the reins. Change hasn’t been limited to just the head coach, with plenty of outgoings meaning there have been holes for the club, not least in midfield, with both Adrien Thomasson and Mamadou Sangaré leaving. 

Paris Saint-Germain were back in action on Wednesday evening as they reclaimed the Super Cup with a 2-1 win over Aston Villa. Their preseason preparation, curtailed somewhat by the World Cup, only started in earnest a week before the Super Cup. Despite the Trophée des Champions being easily described as a preseason game in all but name, there was a real desire to reassert their authority over the club that ran them close in the Ligue 1 title race last season.

Toppmöller kept with the 3-4-3 shape that defined last . . .