Lens start their Ligue 1 campaign against Auxerre on Saturday, 22 August 2026, with the match scheduled to kick off at 15:15 GMT at Stade Bollaert-Delelis.
The home side enter the fixture in confident mood after an outstanding previous season, during which they won the Coupe de France, finished runners-up in Ligue 1 and lifted the Trophee des Champions. Their latest success came against Paris Saint-Germain, whom Lens defeated 1-0 in that season-opening trophy match.
Auxerre, by contrast, begin the new campaign with survival as their principal objective after finishing 15th last season. They have appointed Will Still as their new manager and will hope an encouraging pre-season can provide a platform for a strong start. Auxerre recorded two victories, two draws and one defeat in their five preparation matches.
The recent head-to-head record strongly favours Lens. The Sang et Or have won seven of the teams’ past 10 meetings, while two ended in draws and Auxerre recorded one victory. Lens also completed a league double over AJA last season.
Dino Toppmoller is preparing for his first official season in charge of Lens. The German manager has overseen a positive build-up, with his team winning four of their seven pre-season fixtures. That form, combined with the victory over PSG, has made Lens clear favourites to claim three points in their opening league match.
According to the pre-match assessment provided by Africafoot, Lens have a 64% chance of winning. The likelihood of a draw is put at 24%, while Auxerre are given a 12% chance of taking victory. Africafoot’s predicted score is Lens 2-0 Auxerre.
The bookmakers’ prices also make Lens the expected winners. 1xBet lists a Lens victory at 1.56, a draw at 4.40 and an Auxerre win at 5.80.
The match will be played at Stade Bollaert-Delelis in Lens, with kick-off at 15:15 GMT on Saturday, 22 August 2026.
In France, the game will be shown on Canal+. Viewers in Germany and the United Kingdom can watch on Amazon Prime Video. In the United States, coverage is available through Paramount+, CBS, Fubo, DAZN and TUDN / ViX.
DAZN will broadcast the fixture in Canada, while Canal+ Sport Afrique holds the rights in Africa. Stan Sport will show the match in Australia, TNT Sports will carry it in Brazil and ESPN will provide coverage across Latin America.