RC Lens vs AJ Auxerre tickets for Ligue 1 at Stade Bollaert-Delelis - fan guide, stadium and matchday travel

RC Lens vs AJ Auxerre: guide to the Ligue 1 opener at Bollaert-Delelis

The new Ligue 1 season begins in Lens with a match that immediately offers several interesting storylines. RC Lens hosts AJ Auxerre at Stade Bollaert-Delelis on Saturday, 22 August, and according to the clubs' current schedule, kick-off is at 17:15 local time. This is an important change from the originally listed time of 15:00. The home side enters the championship after one of the best seasons in its recent history, while Auxerre wants to show from the opening round that last season's relegation battle does not have to define it this year as well.

For a supporter travelling to Lens, this is not just the first league round. Bollaert-Delelis holds 38,223 spectators, and Lens sold out its home league matches last season. That context means strong demand for places in the stands is also expected for the opening of the new season. It is worth securing tickets in good time.

Lens opens the championship as runner-up and cup winner

RC Lens finished Ligue 1 2025/26 in second place with 70 points from 34 matches. The team recorded 22 wins, four draws and eight defeats, scoring 66 goals and conceding 35. The season was further marked by winning the Coupe de France, the first in the club's history, after a 3-1 victory over Nice in the final.

Such a season raised expectations, but it also brought a major change on the bench. Pierre Sage left after the historic year, and Dino Toppmöller took charge of the team. His contract runs until 2028, and Lens presented him as a coach who prefers playing with three at the back and a more attacking approach. A 3-4-3 formation has already appeared frequently during preparations.

The results of the pre-season matches provided several different pictures of the new team:

• RC Lens - US Boulogne CO 4-1
• RC Lens - Royal Charleroi 2-2
• RC Lens - Crystal Palace FC 3-0
• RC Lens - Sunderland 0-2

Against Boulogne, Florian Thauvin, Kyllian Mesloub and Florian Sotoca scored, while Odsonne Édouard scored twice in the shortened Como Cup match against Crystal Palace. The final pre-season match against Sunderland ended in a 0-2 defeat at Bollaert-Delelis, so Toppmöller will have enough material ahead of the opening round to refine the team's automatisms in the final third and defensive transition.

Thauvin remains one of the players expected to provide creativity between the lines and shooting from the second line. Édouard provides depth and finishing, while Abdallah Sima offers pace and runs behind the last line. In a system with high-positioned wide players, the quality of the first pass from the back line will also be important, because Auxerre under its new coach wants to press more aggressively than before.

Lens' injury situation is not yet completely clear

Ahead of the start of the championship, Lens had several situations that need to be monitored. On 14 August, Toppmöller explained that Jhoanner Chávez was still working individually, while Nidal Celik returned to team training for the first time that day. Odsonne Édouard trained individually the previous week, while Jonathan Gradit is working with the group again after a complicated injury, but the coach stressed that he would not take risks with his return.

That does not mean that all the players mentioned will necessarily miss the match against Auxerre. There is enough time before the game for their status to change, so it is more useful to monitor the final training sessions than to draw conclusions about the starting line-up in advance. For Lens, it is particularly important how much defensive depth it will have if Toppmöller sticks with three centre-backs.

Auxerre arrives with Will Still and a reshaped squad

AJ Auxerre finished last season in 15th place with 34 points. It recorded eight wins, ten draws and 16 defeats, with a goal difference of 34-44. Survival was secured in the closing stages of the championship, including victories over Nice and Lille. For the new season, the club changed coach and brought in a man who knows Bollaert-Delelis extremely well.

Will Still took charge of Auxerre in June on a two-year contract with an option for an additional season. A special dimension of the match is his past at Lens. When presenting him, Auxerre described him as a coach whose football is based on intensity, pressing and forward play. That creates the possibility that the visitors in Lens will not simply sit deep, but will try to attack the home side's build-up as soon as a misplaced pass or an isolated centre-back appears.

The squad received several important additions during the summer. Arthur Piedfort, a 21-year-old midfielder signed from KVC Westerlo, agreed a four-year contract. In the 2025/26 season he made 37 appearances, scoring three goals and providing three assists. Danny Namaso remained at the club after his loan spell, while Romain Faivre continues at Auxerre on a new loan. The combination of Piedfort's distribution, Faivre's creativity and Namaso's movement could be particularly important if Auxerre wants to play through Lens' pressure without resorting to random long balls.

The final pre-season test also brought a good result: Auxerre beat Werder Bremen 1-0 on 15 August, with Piedfort scoring the goal. Elisha Owusu, Kévin Danois, Faivre, Namaso and Piedfort were also in the squad for that match, providing a clearer picture of the core with which Still enters the championship.

Tactical duel: the height of the press could determine the rhythm

The most interesting question is not only who will have more possession, but where that possession will take place. Lens under Toppmöller uses three players in the back line and wants width through the flanks. If Auxerre's first line of pressure is too aggressive, Lens can look for a direct ball towards Édouard or Sima and then attack the space behind the visitors' midfield.

On the other hand, Auxerre will try to prevent Thauvin from receiving the ball facing goal between the lines. Still's teams usually seek intensity without the ball, but at Bollaert-Delelis such a plan carries risk: one bypassed press can open up a lot of space towards the wide areas. For that reason, the duel between Auxerre's midfielders and Lens' central line could be more important than the possession statistics themselves.

The challenge for the home side will be patience. The opening round often brings fewer automatisms than the middle of the season, and Lens has a new coach and several players whose status within the team changed during the summer. Auxerre, meanwhile, must show whether it can retain compactness after losing the ball. If the visitors push more players forward into the press, the space behind them becomes an area Lens can attack very quickly.

Head-to-head meetings show that Auxerre is not without a chance in Lens

Lens won both league meetings in the 2025/26 season, but recent history warns the home side that this fixture is not one-sided. Auxerre won as emphatically as 4-0 at Bollaert-Delelis in April 2025. The last five league meetings look like this:

• 17.01.2026: RC Lens - AJ Auxerre 1-0
• 04.10.2025: AJ Auxerre - RC Lens 1-2
• 27.04.2025: RC Lens - AJ Auxerre 0-4
• 14.12.2024: AJ Auxerre - RC Lens 2-2
• 03.06.2023: AJ Auxerre - RC Lens 1-3

In October 2025, Lens won 2-1 in Auxerre with a stoppage-time goal from Sima, despite having been reduced to ten men. The return match in Lens ended 1-0. These are useful reminders that small margins, set pieces and the final minutes can carry great weight in this fixture.

Bollaert-Delelis is one of the main reasons why it is worth arriving early

Stade Bollaert-Delelis is located practically in the city, at Avenue Alfred Maës, 62300 Lens. Its capacity is 38,223 spectators, which is exceptionally large for a city the size of Lens. The club sold out every home league match during 2025/26, and a full stadium with stands close to the pitch creates strong acoustic pressure on the visiting team.

For the opening of the season, it is worth planning to arrive well before kick-off. Not only because of entry checks, but also because the surrounding streets and public transport gradually become crowded. Places in the stands disappear quickly, and supporters who want to experience the atmosphere building before the first whistle have good reason to enter early.

How to get to the stadium

Bollaert-Delelis is one of the French stadiums that is convenient to reach by train and on foot. Lens SNCF is approximately a 10-15 minute walk from the stadium. From Lille Flandres, the journey by regional train takes around 40 minutes, while a high-speed train from Paris-Nord can reach Lens in a little over an hour, depending on the connection.

For visitors arriving by car, the most important thing is not to rely on parking immediately next to the stadium, because many of the nearest spaces are reserved. The club recommends public parking areas and transport services to the stadium. Useful options include:

• Lens République - less than a 20-minute walk to the stadium
• Lens Jaurès - less than a 20-minute walk
• Cantin - around a 15-minute walk
• park-and-ride at Arena Stade Couvert de Liévin or CRVO, with a shuttle to the stadium

Shuttle services generally start around two hours before the match and run at frequent intervals. For the specific matchday, it is advisable to check current traffic information because routes and traffic arrangements around Bollaert can change.

When the gates open

According to RC Lens' standard schedule for home matches, the inner area around the stadium opens three hours before kick-off, while entrance checks begin around an hour and a half before. If the current 17:15 kick-off remains in place, the approximate schedule looks like this:

• around 14:15 - opening of the inner area around the stadium
• around 15:45 - opening of checks and entrances to the stands
• around 16:30 - players come out for the warm-up
• 17:15 - kick-off

The stadium has several entrance zones, so visitors should follow the sector indicated on their ticket instead of trying to enter through the nearest gate. Extra time before kick-off is also useful because of security checks.

Lens beyond the stadium: Louvre-Lens and mining heritage

For visitors arriving in the city several hours earlier, Lens is compact enough for the stadium, city centre and main attractions to be connected on foot. Louvre-Lens is located on the site of a former mine and is one of the city's most important cultural landmarks. From the railway station and the centre, the museum can be reached in approximately 20-25 minutes on foot.

The wider landscape around Lens was shaped by the mining industry. In nearby Loos-en-Gohelle there are distinctive mining spoil heaps offering views towards the city, stadium and surrounding area. This is useful context for understanding why football here is so closely connected to the local identity of a working-class and mining region.

If the only objective is the match, the simplest plan is to arrive by train, walk to the stadium and leave enough time to enter. If the stay is extended, Louvre-Lens provides a reason to move the arrival a few hours earlier.

What to expect in the stands

Lens' home matches have a strong rhythm of support, and the stadium is compact enough for noise from the popular stands to spread quickly throughout the entire ground. The opening of the new season, runner-up status and Toppmöller's first home league appearance further increase interest. Auxerre will also have its own story on the bench with Will Still, a man returning to the stadium where he previously worked.

For a neutral visitor, the most interesting element is the combination of a new beginning and very clear competitive pressure. Lens must show that last season was not an unrepeatable peak, while Auxerre wants immediately to distance its season from a battle near the bottom. Ticket sales for this match are under way, and given Bollaert's sell-out crowds last season, it makes sense to plan the visit without delay.

Sources:
- RC Lens - current match time, coach Dino Toppmöller, pre-season matches, squad health status, capacity and access to Stade Bollaert-Delelis
- AJ Auxerre - schedule, appointment of Will Still, summer arrivals and squad for the final pre-season match
- Ligue 1 - opening-round schedule, final standings and context of the 2025/26 season
- RC Lens and AJ Auxerre - reports from head-to-head league matches
- DPA/WELT - result of the final pre-season match Werder Bremen - AJ Auxerre
- Lens-Liévin Tourisme - Louvre-Lens, the city's walking context and mining heritage