Willian Pacho and PSG fall to Lens in French Super Cup as Thauvin strikes

A blow to the face and a goal against on the very same play. That is how things started to go wrong for Willian Pacho and PSG, who came up short in the French Super Cup, falling 1-0 to Lens in the match that officially opens the season in French soccer.

The only goal of the match came from Florian Thauvin, but the play before it left an image that caused a few tense seconds: Pacho battled for the ball with Sima and took a hit to the face that left him shaken right as Lens put together the move that would end in a goal. The Ecuadorian was limited on that particular play, was checked out by the medical staff and, to everyone's relief, was able to continue on the field without further issues.

The match had an added wrinkle with the ejection of Kyllian Antonio, which took away some of Lens' attacking punch and, in theory, made things easier for the Paris backline. But caution was needed, because playing a man down also opens the door to counterattacks, and PSG had to stay fully alert to avoid a bigger scare. Pacho was a key piece in building out of the back, always looking to switch the point of attack so his team could control the tempo of the match.

With the score against them, the Ecuadorian defender tried to be a calming presence on the field, projecting composure to a team that needed to respond and that was quickly running out of time. PSG created chances to equalize, but lacked precision, and even the VAR got involved in plays that were decided by razor-thin margins that did not go Paris' way.

A streak comes to an end

The numbers put this loss into perspective for Pacho. Since he joined PSG two seasons ago, the club has played nine finals and lost only two: this French Super Cup and the Club World Cup final. On that occasion, in the United States, Pacho could not even play because he was suspended, so this defeat to Lens marks his first final lost while actually on the field.

That is no small thing for a player who had grown used to lifting trophies in the Paris jersey. The physical blow faded quickly, but the emotional blow of losing a title that opens the season will likely weigh heavier in the locker room. Now PSG will need to bounce back fast, since the French calendar leaves little room for dwelling on setbacks.