Lens vs Auxerre - prediction, team news, lineups

RC Lens invited AJ Auxerre to the Stade Bollaert-Delelis connected Saturday day for the opening play of the 2026-27 Ligue 1 season.

In their erstwhile outing, Les Sang et Or claimed a 1-0 triumph implicit Paris Saint-Germain to assistance the French Super Cup, portion Les Bleus et Blancs rounded disconnected their pre-season fixtures by beating Werder Bremen successful north-Germany.

Match preview

Gearing up for their seventh consecutive twelvemonth successful Ligue 1, Lens volition beryllium hoping that their historical French Super Cup triumph connected Sunday evening tin catapult them into rubric contention during the 2026-27 campaign.

As a effect of their 3-1 Coupe de France last triumph against OGC Nice successful May, Les Sang et Or faced Paris Saint-Germain for the accidental to triumph this season’s archetypal portion of silverware and aft Florian Thauvin struck the backmost of the adjacent successful the archetypal half, Dino Toppmoller’s men held steadfast to unafraid their 2nd trophy successful speedy succession.

Lens’ maiden Trophee des Champions triumph followed immoderate promising pre-season performances too, convincingly beating Premier League sides Sunderland and Crystal Palace earlier posting a 3-1 triumph against Villarreal successful the last of the second-ever Como Cup tournament.

Experiencing a highly palmy calendar twelvemonth truthful far, the adjacent measurement for Lens is surely challenging for the Ligue 1 rubric much frequently, having finished runners-up to PSG doubly since their promotion and astir precocious trailing Les Parisiens by six points past season.

Having done the league treble implicit Saturday’s opponents past season, claiming a 1-0 location triumph aft a 2-1 triumph astatine the Stade de l’Abbe-Deschamps successful October, Toppmoller’s broadside volition surely beryllium assured of continuing their bully grounds against Auxerre and putting 3 points connected the committee connected the campaign’s opening weekend.

Following an awesome instrumentality to France’s top-flight successful the 2024-25 campaign, finishing 11th with 42 points and good wide of relegation, Auxerre volition beryllium relieved with however past play ended up panning retired arsenic they avoided the driblet portion by the tegument of their teeth.

Spending a immense 210 days successful the division’s bottommost three, it looked definite that L’AJA were going to driblet backmost down to Ligue 2, nevertheless wins against relegation rivals Nice and Champions league chasing LOSC Lille successful their last 2 matches secured their presumption for astatine slightest different season. 

Having endured a mostly affirmative pre-season schedule, losing conscionable 1 of their 5 mentation fixtures, Will Still’s broadside volition undoubtedly beryllium wanting a much comfy league run this clip around, starting with a pugnacious trial against a beardown Lens outfit.

Although they are immense underdogs to instrumentality thing from this weekend’s bout, Auxerre bash person caller blessed memories erstwhile travelling to northern-France and picked up their astir caller triumph astatine the Stade Bollaert-Delelis successful April 2025 erstwhile they posted a convincing 4-0 scoreline.

Lens pre-season form:

Auxerre pre-season form:

Team News

Picking up a consecutive reddish paper against PSG, 18-year-old defender Kyllian Antonio is serving a prohibition this weekend, though Lens bash invited Thorgan Hazard backmost from suspension.

The hosts proceed to beryllium without antiaircraft duo Jhoanner Chavez and Jonathan Gradit arsenic some proceed their betterment from semipermanent thigh injuries, portion Nidal Celik is nearing a instrumentality from a meniscus issue.

Missing the bulk of pre-season with a thigh problem, 22-year-old Austrian Samson Baido besides remains retired alongside Odsonne Edouard, who suffered a groin strain against Sunderland a fortnight ago.

Auxerre volition beryllium incapable to utilise either Bryan Okoh oregon Assane Diousse connected Saturday afternoon, the second of whom has been ruled retired for the bulk of the run aft sustaining a torn ACL against Werder Bremen connected Saturday.

Picking up a groin wounded pursuing his signing from Swiss broadside Lausanne, Les Bleus et Blancs are yet to spot 23-year-old defender Sekou Fofana successful action, portion Marvin Senata continues to beryllium retired with a hamstring contented picked up astatine the World Cup with Ghana.

Lens imaginable starting lineup:

Risser; Aguilar, Ganiou, Nawrocki; Abdulhamid, Bulatovic, Titraoui, Udol; Thauvin, Sima, Ivanovic

Auxerre imaginable starting lineup:

Diop; Sy, Diomande, Akpa, Oppegard; Piedfort, Danois, Ahamada; Casimir, Zossou, Namaso

We say: Lens 3-1 Auxerre

Entering the play successful good form, Lens volition beryllium assured of getting their Ligue 1 run underway with triumph astatine the Stade de l’Abbe-Deschamps connected Saturday afternoon. 

Although Auxerre person enjoyed a affirmative pre-season and precocious claimed triumph connected their travels to Les Sang et Or, we deliberation it is hard to spot them getting a effect connected the opening weekend.

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