France Thrash Belgium 4-1 for Zidane’s First Home Win
France came from behind to beat Belgium 4-1 at the Stade de France, giving Zinedine Zidane his first home win as Les Bleus coach and leaving his side close to a Nations League quarter-final place.
Key takeaways
- France struck four times in the final 14 minutes after trailing Belgium at half-time.
- Desire Doue, Rayan Cherki and Michael Olise changed the game after coming on in the second half.
- Olise scored twice, while Doue and Cherki each registered one goal.
- France lead Nations League Group A1 by three points from Italy.
- Italy’s 3-1 win over Türkiye delayed France’s chance to confirm qualification.
Late replacements turn the match
Belgium had put France under real pressure when Dodi Lukebakio broke clear in the 35th minute. Romeo Lavia’s long ball released the forward beyond the French defensive line, and Lukebakio finished past Guillaume Restes, the goalkeeper making his senior international debut.
France could not find an immediate response, but Zidane’s changes transformed the contest. Doue brought the hosts level in the 77th minute, driving a low finish into the bottom-right corner.
Cherki then helped force the decisive moment four minutes later. Belgium goalkeeper Maarten Vandevoordt failed to deal cleanly with the danger and the ball rebounded in for France’s second.
Olise completed the turnaround with two goals in the space of three minutes, turning a tense home match into an emphatic 4-1 result.
Zidane praised his players’ reaction after a difficult first half, saying football is about responding to setbacks and that France produced an outstanding second-half display. Olise also credited the collective work, saying the squad have taken on Zidane’s ideas well across the past four matches.
What happens next in Group A1
The victory puts France three points ahead of Italy at the top of the group, after the Italians defeated Türkiye 3-1 on the same night.
France would already have been through had Italy failed to win, but qualification will now be decided during November’s final international window. The first two teams in each Nations League group will reach next year’s quarter-finals.
Les Bleus next travel to Italy in a pivotal Group A1 fixture before finishing their group programme at home to Türkiye.
