Lens Faces Auxerre in Ligue 1 Opener
Listen to the story
Lens will host Auxerre on 22 August 2026 in the opening match of the new Ligue 1 season.
Ligue 1 is France's top professional football division. This match will be the first of matchday one.
Before the season began, Lens won the Trophée des Champions, a match played between two of France's strongest teams from the previous season.
Lens hopes to use this win as motivation to start the new season with a strong performance against Auxerre.
The match will be shown live, meaning fans will be able to watch it as it happens, either on television or online.
A promotional video titled "Jour de match" ("Match Day") has been released to introduce the game to fans.
The video presents the upcoming fixture between the two clubs and builds excitement before kickoff.
Auxerre, often known by the short name AJA, will be looking to start their season well too, though no other details about their form have been given.
Fans of both teams are expected to follow the match closely, as opening games often set the tone for the rest of the campaign.
Vocabulary10 words
- host
- to hold an event, like a game, at your own place
- division
- a level of competition in a sport
- Trophée des Champions
- a match between two top French teams before the season starts
- live
- shown at the same time something is happening
- fixture
- a planned sports match
- kickoff
- the start of a football match
- campaign
- a full sports season for a team
- motivation
- a reason that makes you want to do something well
- performance
- how well someone plays or does something
- promotional
- made to tell people about something and get them interested
Quiz
Answer key
1. They won the Trophée des Champions 2. To introduce the Lens-Auxerre match 3. False
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Lens will host _____ on 22 August 2026.
Ligue 1 is France's top professional football _____.
Lens won the _____ before the season began.
Lens hopes to use this win as _____ for the new season.
The match will be shown _____, meaning fans can watch it happen.
A promotional video titled "Jour de match" has been _____ to introduce the game.
The video presents the upcoming _____ between the two clubs.
Fans expect the match to set the tone for the rest of the _____.
Discussion questions
- Why might winning a trophy like the Trophée des Champions give a team confidence for the new season?
- What makes opening matches of a football season exciting for fans?
- Do you think promotional videos like "Jour de match" help attract more viewers? Why or why not?
- How important is it for a team to start a season with a win?