France defeated Belgium 1-0 in Brussels on Sunday evening, with substitute Michael Olise scoring a stunning late goal to secure top spot in UEFA Nations League Group A1 for the new-look French side. The result came in a lively match at the King Baudouin Stadium, where France dominated for long stretches but had to wait until the 87th minute before Olise — sent on as a substitute — burst through, feinted past his marker and curled a low shot inside the post to settle the contest.
The victory was as much a statement about France's new manager as it was about the result itself. Zinedine Zidane, the legendary former French midfielder who recently succeeded Didier Deschamps as national team coach, made sweeping changes from the side that had narrowly beaten Turkey the previous Friday — nine of the eleven starters were different. With captain Kylian Mbappé absent through injury, Zidane handed debut starts to three uncapped players — Andy Diouf, Jérémy Jacquet and Lucas Da Cunha — and left stars such as Ousmane Dembélé, Olise and Rayan Cherki on the bench. Da Cunha impressed throughout, striking the post in the second half, while PSG forward Désiré Doué had hit the crossbar early on. Belgium, managed by Dutch coach Mark van Bommel, had beaten Italy four days earlier and remained competitive through Kevin De Bruyne, with Dodi Lukebakio twice forcing sharp saves from goalkeeper Mike Maignan late in the game.
The match also carried a notable subplot: it was the first time Zidane and Van Bommel had faced each other as managers, having met as midfield rivals twenty years ago in Spanish Clásico fixtures between Real Madrid and Barcelona. Belgium's defeat extended a painful record against their southern neighbours — they have not beaten France in a competitive fixture for 45 years.
Elsewhere in Group A1, Italy produced a commanding 4-1 away win over Turkey in Bursa, with Alessandro Bastoni, Davide Frattesi and Michael Kayode putting the Azzurri 3-0 up by half-time. The final goal was scored by Pio Esposito, who started alongside his brother Sebastiano — the first brothers to play together for Italy since Simone and Filippo Inzaghi in 2000. With two wins from two, France lead the group, with Italy close behind following their emphatic result.