Michael Olise inspires late French comeback to beat Belgium 4-1

France scored four goals in the final 14 minutes to defeat Belgium 4-1 at the Stade de France, securing Zinedine Zidane's first home win as national head coach.

Dodi Lukébakio initially put Belgium ahead in the first half after a pass from Roméo Lavia split the French defense. The visitors, playing without suspended midfielders Kevin De Bruyne and Youri Tielemans, held the lead until the 77th minute as they sought their first competitive win against France in 45 years.

The Guardian reported that France turned the match around late in the second half. Désiré Doué scored the equalizer with a low strike before Michael Olise, who came off the bench, assisted Rayan Cherki for the second goal. Olise then scored twice in the closing minutes, including a goal in stoppage time, to finalize the 4-1 scoreline.

Zinedine Zidane made ten changes to his starting lineup for the match, according to The Guardian. Leny Yoro and Guillaume Restes made their debuts, while Ousmane Dembélé captained the side as Kylian Mbappé remained out with an injury. Belgian goalkeeper Maarten Vandevoordt also made his international debut, making several saves before the French surge.

Speaking to TF1 after the victory, Zidane described the comeback by saying, "That’s football, that’s what we love." ESPN noted that the result preserved Zidane's unbeaten start as coach. The win places France three points clear of Italy at the top of Nations League Group A1.

Background

France entered the match following a 1-0 victory over Belgium in Brussels the previous week, where Michael Olise also scored the decisive late goal.