Lens Victorious in Trophée des Champions: "Going to War" Mentality Drives Team

Lens' goalkeeper, Robin Risser, was ecstatic after his team's Trophée des Champions victory against PSG, securing a 1-0 win at home. He praised his teammates' fighting spirit, which he described as akin to "going to war," and believes this mentality will be crucial for the upcoming season.

The match was marked by intense physicality, with Lens committing 19 fouls and receiving two red cards. Despite being reduced to ten men for over 50 minutes after a red card to Kyllian Antonio in the 39th minute, shortly after Florian Thauvin opened the scoring, Lens held on. Parisians struggled to break down a determined defense and were repeatedly thwarted by an outstanding performance from the 21-year-old goalkeeper, Robin Risser, who made six saves.

This victory marks Lens' fourth major trophy in their history and their first Trophée des Champions title. The win was made even more significant by the fact that they played with a numerical disadvantage for a considerable portion of the game. The intensity of the match was further amplified by a red card shown to PSG's Nuno Mendes in the 87th minute, leveling the playing field.

"We're going to war, that's our strength, and we need to build on it for the future."

Speaking to Ligue 1+, Risser focused on his team's response to adversity. He stated, "It wasn't easy even with eleven against eleven. With ten against eleven, we knew it would be even more difficult, but we told ourselves at halftime, if we respect the values of this club and this public. Whether at nine, ten, or eight, we go to war... These are the values of this club, and that's what makes us strong. We need to build on this success for the rest of the season. It's a great, really important success for this season, especially against the Parisian ogre; we know that finals are usually theirs."

Ismaëlo Ganiou: The Warrior of the Trenches

Beyond Risser's heroics, Ismaëlo Ganiou was instrumental in Lens' defensive effort. The hardworking midfielder tirelessly contained and exhausted PSG's Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Désiré Doué. Ganiou's prowess in duels and his crucial role in a reshuffled defense, necessitated by the team's numerical disadvantage, made him one of the standout performers, acting as a commanding presence in their back three.

This hard-fought victory has provided Lens with a significant confidence boost ahead of the league's resumption on Saturday, August 22nd, when they host Auxerre at 5:15 PM.