France made it two wins from two in the UEFA Nations League, beating hosts Belgium 1-0 in Brussels thanks to a stunning solo strike from substitute Michael Olise deep into stoppage time.
A Cagey, Goalless Battle
Zinedine Zidane made nine changes following France’s opening win over Türkiye, and his rotated side largely dominated proceedings without finding the breakthrough their control deserved. Désiré Doué struck the crossbar as an early warning sign of France’s threat, while Belgium looked dangerous on the counter, with Charles De Ketelaere releasing Dodi Lukébakio, who was denied by a fine save from Mike Maignan. Lukébakio continued to test Maignan as the match wore on, in an absorbing, tightly-contested affair that refused to open up.
Olise’s Moment of Magic
With the clock ticking down and a draw looking the likely outcome, France turned to their bench. Michael Olise had been on the pitch for just 12 minutes when he produced a moment of individual brilliance, collecting the ball inside his own half and driving forward, surging past four Belgian defenders before finishing calmly into the bottom left corner in the 88th minute. It proved to be the only goal of the match, sealing a deserved, if hard-fought, win for the visitors.
What It Means
The result sends France top of Group A1 with a maximum six points from two games, continuing Zidane’s perfect start as head coach. For Belgium, despite a spirited performance and some dangerous moments on the break, the defeat leaves them on three points, with the group now shaping up as a tight contest between France, Belgium, and Italy.
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