Olise inspires stunning late comeback as France beat Belgium 4-1
Michael Olise inspired a remarkable late turnaround as France came from behind to defeat Belgium 4-1 in the UEFA Nations League, giving Zinedine Zidane his third victory in four matches as head coach.
Trailing until the 77th minute, Les Bleus struck four times in a devastating closing spell to remain unbeaten and move three points clear of Italy at the top of Group A1.
Match highlight
Both Zidane and Belgium coach Mark van Bommel entrusted debutant goalkeepers with starting places, and each made an assured opening.
Guillaume Restes saved Romelu Lukaku’s long-range effort before Maarten Vandevoordt raced out to deny Bradley Barcola at the other end.
France controlled much of the possession, but Belgium repeatedly intervened at crucial moments. Nicolas Raskin blocked Eduardo Camavinga’s shot before heading over from Dodi Lukebakio’s delivery in the opposite penalty area.
Esteban Lepaul tested Vandevoordt with a shot on the turn and later fired harmlessly wide, while Lukebakio failed to connect with an opportunity from a corner.
The Belgian winger made no mistake in the 35th minute, however. Romeo Lavia’s precise pass split the French defence, allowing Lukebakio to collect the ball and finish calmly.
Hans Vanaken subsequently blocked Ousmane Dembele’s effort as Belgium protected their advantage heading into half-time.
The pattern continued after the restart. Lavia denied Manu Kone with another block, and Dembele shot wide under pressure from Joaquin Seys.
France’s frustration was reflected in an ambitious Maxence Lacroix attempt from distance that missed the target. Belgium also suffered a setback when Lavia received a booking that ruled him out of their next match.
Zidane made three substitutions on the hour, a decision that ultimately transformed the contest.
Olise immediately threatened, seeing one effort saved and another impressively blocked, while Rayan Cherki’s curling attempt was deflected wide. Nathan Ngoy also intervened to divert Barcola’s first-time strike off target.
The pressure finally brought an equaliser in the 77th minute. Lucas Da Cunha found Desire Doue, who finished into the bottom corner from the edge of the penalty area.
Three minutes later, France were ahead. Cherki met Olise’s cutback with a shot that found the net despite Vandevoordt getting a hand to it.
Olise then added a close-range finish before scoring again three minutes later following an excellent combination with Doue.
Belgium’s defensive resistance had collapsed, and a match they had led for much of the evening ended in a heavy defeat.
France’s unbeaten start under Zidane now stands at three wins and a draw, while Belgium slipped to third in the group after a closing spell that dramatically reshaped the standings.
