Lens vs PSV match facts

Surprise Group B leaders Lens will look to consolidate their solid start back in the UEFA Champions League as they welcome a PSV Eindhoven side who are searching for their first win in this season's group stage.

A 2-1 home victory against Arsenal in which Lens came from behind with Elye Wahi scoring a second-half winner has taken the French club on to four points in the standings, one clear of their English opponents. Lens had earned a 1-1 Matchday 1 draw at UEFA Europa League winners Sevilla, with whom PSV drew 2-2 in Eindhoven last time out having gone down 4-0 in north London on the opening night.

This is the sides' first fixture.

Form guide

Lens

Record vs Dutch clubs: W1 D1 L3 F8 A9
Home record vs Dutch clubs: W1 D0 L1 

This is only Lens' sixth game against a Dutch club and a first since they conceded in the 90th minute to lose 1-0 at Heerenveen in the 2006/07 UEFA Cup group stage.

The French side were 4-1 winners at home to Vitesse in the 1999/2000 UEFA Cup second round first leg, setting up a 5-2 aggregate victory.

Lens' other home game against Eredivisie visitors ended in a 3-1 loss to Den Haag in the 1975/76 European Cup Winners' Cup second round second leg; they bowed out 6-3 on aggregate.

Lens are in the Champions League group stage for the first time since making their second appearance in 2002/03 when, as on their 1998/99 debut, they failed to reach the knockout rounds.

Les Sang et Or were second behind Dynamo Kyiv in their Champions League group in 1998/99, picking up eight points including a notable 1-0 victory at Arsenal. They also collected eight points in the first group stage four years later, finishing third in a section behind eventual champions AC Milan and Deportivo La Coruña, who had lost 2-1 and 3-1 respectively at Stade Bollaert-Delelis.

This is Lens' first European campaign since 2007/08 when, having qualified as one of the UEFA Intertoto Cup winners, they lost to Copenhagen in the UEFA Cup first round (1-1 h, 1-2 a aet).

Lens, who also won an Intertoto Cup in 2005, enjoyed their most successful European campaign in 1999/2000, reaching the UEFA Cup semi-finals before losing to Arsenal (0-1 a, 1-2 h).

The French club are unbeaten in six home European matches, winning five, since a 2-1 loss at home to Parma in the 2006/07 UEFA Cup group stage. That is their only loss in their last 17 European games in their own stadium (W14 D2).

A 3-1 reverse against Dynamo Kyiv on Matchday 6 in 1998/99 is Lens' only home Champions League defeat (W4 D2).

Promoted back to the top flight in 2020 after five seasons in Ligue 2, in 2022/23 Franck Haise guided Lens to their highest league finish since ending as runners-up to Lyon in 2001/02, his side finishing second in Ligue 1 on 84 points – one behind Paris Saint-Germain.

PSV

Record vs French clubs: W10 D15 L11 F35 A39
Away record vs French clubs: W2 D9 L7

PSV faced French opposition in last season's Champions League third qualifying round, winning 3-2 at home against Monaco in the second leg and 4-3 on aggregate.

The 1-1 draw in the first leg of that tie was PSV's third successive draw in France, since a 3-0 Champions League group stage loss at Marseille in November 2008. That is one of only two defeats in their last 11 away games against Ligue 1 opponents (W2 D7), the other a 4-0 loss at Lyon in the 2005/06 Champions League round of 16 second leg (0-5 aggregate).

A 2-1 loss against Monaco in Eindhoven in the 2021/22 Europa League group stage is PSV's only defeat in their last six games with French teams, home and away (W2 D3).

The most recent of PSV's 16 Champions League group campaigns came in 2018/19, when they finished fourth in their section having collected only two points.

The Eindhoven club have lost three times in qualifying since then, including play-off defeats at the hands of Benfica in 2021/22 (1-2 a, 0-0 h) and Rangers last season (2-2 a, 0-1 h).

PSV were second behind Arsenal in Europa League Group A in 2022/23 having transferred across from the Champions League, winning four of their six games, but eventual champions Sevilla ended their run in the knockout round play-offs despite a second-leg fightback (0-3 a, 2-0 h).

Second in the Eredivisie for the third season in a row in 2022/23, finishing runners-up to Feyenoord after two campaigns behind Ajax, PSV kicked off this European campaign in the Champions League third qualifying round, sweeping past Sturm Graz (4-1 h, 3-1 a) with Luuk de Jong scoring three goals in the tie.

Beaten by Rangers in the 2022/23 play-offs, PSV turned the tables at the same stage this season, another 2-2 away draw in the first leg preceding a 5-1 home second-leg success in Eindhoven.

De Jong's second-leg header against Rangers made him the first player in PSV's history to score in five consecutive European matches. Willy van der Kuijlen, Ralf Edström, Gerrie Deijkers, Romário and Balázs Dzsudzsák had all scored in four European games in a row.

The Matchday 1 loss at Arsenal was only PSV's third in their last 12 European away games, winning four.

However, the Dutch club are without a win in their last 14 away matches in the Champions League proper (D4 L10), since a 1-0 victory at CSKA Moskva on 27 November 2007.

A 2-1 defeat of CSKA on Matchday 6 in 2015/16 is PSV's last win in the Champions League group stage, home and away; their record since is D5 L9.

Links and trivia

PSV coach Peter Bosz was in charge of Lyon from May 2021 to October 2022, overseeing a win, a draw and a defeat against Lens, all in Ligue 1.

Have played in France:
Walter Benítez (Nice 2016–22)
Olivier Boscagli (Nice 2013–19, Nîmes 2017/18 loan)

While Boscagli never faced Lens during his time in France, Benítez won three of his four games against Les Sang et Or while at Nice although he lost the last, 3-0 in Ligue 1 on 10 April 2022.

Have played together:
Massadio Haïdara & Luuk de Jong (Newcastle 2013/14)
Nampalys Mendy & Oscar Boscagli (Nice 2014–16)
Nampalys Mendy & Walter Benítez (Nice 2017/18)
Faitout Maouassa & Noa Lang (Club Brugge 2020/21)

Latest news

Lens

On Friday Lens drew for the second league match in succession as they were held 0-0 at Le Havre. It was their first goalless draw since 29 December 2022.

Lens are now unbeaten in their last four Ligue 1 games (W2 D2), and six in all competitions (W3 D3).

Lens followed up their 2-1 win against Arsenal on Matchday 2 with a 1-1 draw in the Derby du Nord against LOSC Lille on 8 October thanks to an equaliser from Deiver Machado, the Colombian left-back's third goal of the campaign.

Summer recruit Elye Wahi scored his first goal for the club to give Lens a 1-0 win away at Strasbourg on 29 September. The France Under-21 international followed it up with the winner against Arsenal, his first European goal.

The draw against Lille lifted Lens up to 14th in the table, their highest ranking of the season. Les Sang et Or have nine points after nine games, 12 less than at the same stage last season.

Lens lost four of their first five Ligue 1 fixtures this season, drawing the other 1-1 at home to Rennes on 20 August. They went down 1-0 at home to Metz on 16 September to make it three successive league defeats for the first time since May 2021.

Les Sang et Or had to wait until 24 September to register their first win of the season in all competitions, a 2-1 home Ligue 1 defeat of Toulouse. They have won two of their subsequent four games.

Angelo Fulgini scored against Sevilla on his European debut. The attacking midfielder has now scored three goals for Lens, all in different competitions: Ligue 1, French Cup and UEFA Champions League.

One point from five games was Lens' worst start to a Ligue 1 campaign. Four points after five matches was their lowest total since picking up three in 2007/08.

Abdukodir Khusanov and Ruben Aguilar made their Lens debuts against Metz on 16 September, the former the first player from Uzbekistan to appear in Ligue 1.

Przemyslaw Frankowski set up a goal in Poland's 2-0 UEFA EURO 2024 qualifying win in the Faroe Islands on 12 October.

Morgan Guilavogui scored the only goal as Guinea beat Guinea-Bissau in a friendly on 13 October.

Nampalys Mendy was part of Senegal team who defeated Cameroon friendly 1-0 at Lens' Stade Bollaert-Delelis on 16 October.

Wahi set up one of the goals as France beat Cyprus 9-0 in Grenoble in 2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualifying on 17 October, the team's record win.

Kevin Danso was taken off with an adductor injury in the second half of Austria's 3-2 home defeat by Belgium on 13 October and missed the 1-0 victory in Azerbaijan four days later that booked his side's place at UEFA EURO 2024. He played 90 minutes for Lens on Friday.

Massadio Haïdara came on as a substitute in Seville, his first appearance since 2 September due to a groin problem, although he subsequently picked up a thigh injury, returning to play 74 minutes on Friday.

David Costa has not played since 26 August due to a shoulder injury.

Goalkeeper Wuilker Farinez and midfielder Jimmy Cabot have not featured this season due to knee injuries; neither has been included in the UEFA Champions League squad.

Brice Samba has been nominated for the Yashin Trophy for best goalkeeper, while Wahi has been nominated for the Kopa Trophy for the best Under-21 player. Both winners will be announced in Paris on 30 October.

PSV

PSV made it nine wins from nine in the Eredivisie this season with a 3-1 win at home to Fortuna Sittard on Saturday. They have scored 30 goals and conceded just three.

Guus Til opened the scoring, making it four goals in his last five league matches.

André Ramalho made it two, his first Eredivisie strike since 4 December 2021, before Johan Bakayoko found the net for the second league game in a row.

PSV had picked up a 4-0 victory at Sparta Rotterdam on 8 October.

The Eindhoven club have recorded five clean sheets in their last seven league matches, conceding only two goals.

Malik Tillman has three goals in his last five league appearances.

Luuk de Jong's goal at Sparta was his 156th in the Eredivisie; he is the highest scorer in the Dutch top flight in the 21st century.

Captain De Jong has 13 goals in all competitions this season.

Noa Lang missed the Netherlands' internationals with a hamstring injury picked up against Sparta and missed PSV's weekend win.

Tillman was taken off with a knock against Sparta and returned to action as a late substitute on Saturday.

Armando Obispo and Mauro Júnior are still to play this season due to knee injuries.

Hirving Lozano marked his first appearance for Mexico since March with the opening goal in a 2-0 friendly victory against Ghana on 15 October.

Midfielder Ismael Saibari has signed a new contract until 2028. The Moroccan international broke through into the first team last season, after spending two years in the PSV youth set-up.

PSV's 4-0 defeat at Arsenal on Matchday 1 is their only reverse so far this season. Their record otherwise in all competitions is W13 D2.

The only matches they have failed to win have all been in Europe, the defeat at Arsenal and 2-2 draws against Rangers in the play-offs and Sevilla on Matchday 2.

Peter Bosz's first match at the helm ended in a first trophy, his new side defeating Dutch champions Feyenoord 1-0 in the Johan Cruyff Schaal on 4 August thanks to a goal by Lang.

Walter Benítez is the only player not to have missed a minute of PSV's 16 matches so far this season.