The first defeat of the season for Paris Sant Germain of the stars arrives on New Year's Eve, an even heavier fall given that it took place in the most important match of Ligue 1, the top-level challenge with Lens, second in the standings and the only other pretender to the 2022 title 2023.
The 3-1 final was deserved by Lens against a team that, even without the suspended Neymar and Messi, who hasn't returned to France yet, remains much superior on paper.
In the Bollaert-Deleliss stadium in the Pas de Calais town, the hosts had so far not lost a point and confirmed the tradition.
They already scored in the 5th minute with the Pole Frankowski but shortly after, in the 8th minute, the 20-year-old Hugo Ekitiké equalized, lined up in attack by Galtier together with Mbappè.
In the 28th minute Lens got back on track through Belgian striker Lois Openda and early in the second half scored the third goal through fellow striker Alexis Claude-Maurice.
The blow stunned the leaders, who failed to organize a productive reaction throughout the second half.
A bad way for Verratti, fresh from his renewal, to celebrate his 400th match in the rossoblù shirt.
Now Lens has come close to -4 in the standings, just enough to keep PSG under pressure, which will soon also be distracted from the Champions League, the club's primary objective so far always eluded.