France secured a 1-0 win over Belgium in their Nations League clash at the Koning Boudewijnstadion in Brussels, thanks to a late goal from Michael Olise. Olise, who plays for Bayern Munich, scored his first goal for France in nine games, proving decisive on his 28th international appearance. He picked up the ball in his own half, sped past Belgium defender Maxime De Cuyper, and slotted the ball past the Belgium goalkeeper Senne Lammens with two minutes of the game remaining.
The win was achieved without injured skipper Kylian Mbappé, with Zinedine Zidane opting for boldness rather than caution. Zidane, who took over as France head coach in July, retained only goalkeeper Mike Maignan and defender Maxence Lacroix from the side that began the 1-0 win over Turkey in Izmit on Friday. Defenders Andy Diouf, Jeremy Jacquet, and Pierre Kalulu were all named in the starting line-up for the first time, along with international debutants Lucas Da Cunha in midfield and Esteban Lepaul in attack.
France dominated possession, with Désiré Doué rattling the crossbar with a shot from distance after 12 minutes and Magnes Akliouche testing the Belgium goalkeeper Senne Lammens from a free-kick. Belgium, also boasting a new head coach in Mark van Bommel, threatened sporadically, with veteran midfielder Kevin De Bruyne going close in the second-half and Dodi Lukébakio thrashed an effort at goal in the 79th minute that took Maignan two attempts to bring under control.
Zidane hailed Olise as well as the squad after the game, saying he was confident Olise would score when he started dribbling. Zidane praised his team's performance, saying they were very good in every area, especially in their pressing, and were brave in getting into Belgium's half. He also highlighted the involvement of the entire squad, saying that's what they love.
In the other game in League A Group 1, Italy recovered from their opening round defeat to Belgium with a 4-1 win over Turkey in Bursa. Alessandro Bastoni, Davide Frattesi, and Michael Kayode were on target as Italy raced into a 3-0 lead before half-time. Barış Alper Yılmaz pulled one back for Turkey just after the restart, but Francesco Pio Esposito restored the three-goal advantage in the 50th minute.
The win puts France at the top of Group 1 with six points from their two games, while Belgium and Italy have three points each. Turkey prop up the pool with no points after two defeats. Zidane's first home game as France coach comes on Friday when his side welcome Italy to the Stade de France, the arena where his two goals in the 1998 World Cup final inspired France to a 3-0 victory over Brazil and their first World Cup trophy.
France will look to continue their winning form when they host Belgium at the Stade de France on 5 October for their fourth game in the group. The top two from the four groups in League A will advance to the last eight next March, with the semi-finals to be played on 9 and 10 June 2027 and the final on 13 June.
Key points
- France beat Belgium 1-0 in the Nations League thanks to a late goal from Michael Olise.
- Zinedine Zidane's side secured the win without injured skipper Kylian Mbappé.
- France top Group 1 with six points from their two games, while Belgium and Italy have three points each.
