Michael Olise’s late heroics powered France to a dramatic 4-1 Nations League victory over Belgium, securing Zinedine Zidane’s first home triumph since assuming command of the team.
Belgium showed promise when Dodi Lukébakio broke the deadlock in the first half, sparking hopes of ending France’s 45-year wait for a competitive international victory. However, the French side responded emphatically, delivering four goals in the final 14 minutes to clinch a stunning comeback.
Désiré Doué equalized for France in the 77th minute with a low drive from outside the box, before Olise supplied the assist for Rayan Cherki to put the hosts ahead four minutes later. Olise then added a third goal before scoring a fourth in stoppage time, completing a remarkable turnaround that saw France overturn a first-half deficit.
The win moved France three points clear of Italy at Group A1’s summit, while Belgium remain a point adrift in second place. Italy secured a 3-1 win over Turkey in Bologna, with goals from Gianluca Scamacca, Riccardo Calafiori and Pio Esposito.
Zidane’s approach saw 10 changes to his starting XI, introducing debutants like Manchester United’s Leny Yoro and Toulouse goalkeeper Guillaume Restes. Ousmane Dembélé captained the side in Mbappé’s absence.
Belgium’s Kevin De Bruyne and Youri Tielemans were unavailable due to suspension, but Lukebakio’s clinical finish followed Roméo Lavia’s incisive pass that exposed France’s defense early on. Despite Maarten Vandevoordt’s saves against Esteban Lepaul and Cherki, France surged back to level and then dominate.
In Group B2, Mark Csinger’s late strike secured Hungary’s 2-1 win over Ukraine in Trnava.
Across other groups, Sweden’s Viktor Gyökeres scored in his seventh straight Nations League game, leading to a 1-0 victory over Romania in B4. Bosnia and Herzegovina edged Poland 1-0 via Ivan Basic’s late penalty, while Marcus Edwards’ stoppage-time goal ensured Cyprus reversed a 1-0 deficit to defeat Latvia 2-1 in C2.
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