Michael Olise delivered a moment of late brilliance on Monday night, scoring in the 88th minute to secure a hard-fought 1-0 victory for France against Belgium in the UEFA Nations League at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels. The win preserves Les Bleus’ perfect start in Group A1 under manager Zinédine Zidane, making it two victories from two matches.
Zidane, overseeing his second match in charge after succeeding Didier Deschamps, opted for a heavily rotated starting lineup. The French manager made nine changes from the team that defeated Türkiye 1-0 on Friday. Captain Kylian Mbappé was missing from the squad after returning to Real Madrid for treatment on a left knee injury sustained in the previous fixture. In Mbappé’s absence, players such as debutants Lucas Da Cunha and Esteban Lepaul were handed their first starts.
A Stubborn Belgian Defense Frustrates Les Bleus
Despite dominating large spells of possession and creating numerous scoring opportunities, France struggled to find the back of the net against a resilient Belgian defense orchestrated by new coach Mark van Bommel. Paris Saint-Germain youngster Désiré Doué was a constant threat, coming agonizingly close in the first half when his powerful effort crashed against the crossbar.
Debutant Lucas Da Cunha also rattled the woodwork early in the second half with a fierce strike from range. Belgium tested French goalkeeper Mike Maignan through dangerous breaks involving Kevin De Bruyne, Mika Godts, and substitute Dodi Lukébakio, but Maignan and his backline stood firm to keep the hosts scoreless.
Olise’s Late Heroics Break the Deadlock
With the match seemingly destined for a scoreless draw, Zidane turned to his bench, introducing Bayern Munich winger Michael Olise in the 77th minute in place of Bradley Barcola.
The tactical switch paid off decisively in the 88th minute. Olise collected the ball down on his shoulder inside his own half following a fast break initiated by Rayan Cherki. The winger set off on an exceptional individual run, driving up the pitch, shaking off a defender, and coolly curling a left-footed shot past goalkeeper Senne Lammens into the bottom-left corner.
“Olise’s magnificent late strike gave France a 1-0 victory in Belgium, highlighting his ability to change a game in an instant.”
Group Standings and Upcoming Fixtures
The 1-0 triumph moves France to the top of Nations League Group A1 with six points from two matches, three points clear of Belgium and Italy. The result also extends France’s winning streak in head-to-head matches against their neighbors to six games while snapping Belgium’s six-match unbeaten run at home.
Les Bleus will return home to host Italy at the Stade de France on Friday, September 5, in what marks Zinédine Zidane’s highly anticipated managerial homecoming in front of French supporters. Meanwhile, Belgium will look to bounce back when they travel to face Türkiye.
Match Statistics and Lineups
- Belgium (4-2-3-1): Lammens; Castagne, Ngoy, Mechele, Seys (De Cuyper 68′); Lavia (Raskin 85′), Tielemans; Moreira (Lukébakio 63′), De Bruyne (Vanaken 63′), Godts; De Ketelaere (Fernandez-Pardo 85′).
- France (4-3-3): Maignan; Kalulu, Jacquet, Lacroix, Diouf; Akliouche (Cherki 77′), da Cunha (Koné 90′), Camavinga; Doué, Lepaul (Dembélé 68′), Barcola (Olise 77′).
- Goal: France – Michael Olise (88′)
- Yellow Cards: Belgium – Moreira (42′), De Bruyne (57′), Tielemans (66′)
