France came from behind to defeat Belgium 4-1 in their Nations League Group A1 clash at the Stade de France on Monday.
The victory gave Zinedine Zidane his first home win in charge, following a 1-1 draw against Italy three days earlier. France moved to the top of the group with 10 points.
Lukebakio Gives Belgium the Lead
Belgium took the lead in the 35th minute through Dodi Lukebakio.
The forward broke through a France defence that had stepped up for an offside trap after receiving a long pass from Romeo Lavia. Lukebakio then calmly finished past France goalkeeper Guillaume Restes, who was making his international debut.
France dominated possession but struggled to create clear opportunities against Belgium’s deep defensive block.
The hosts also went into the match without captain Kylian Mbappe and had now failed to score in the first half in eight consecutive matches.
France Turn the Game Around After Substitutions
France became increasingly dangerous after Michael Olise and Rayan Cherki came off the bench around the hour mark, followed by Desire Doue 12 minutes later.
The substitutes made an immediate impact in the final stages.
Doue equalised in the 77th minute with a left-footed shot from the edge of the penalty area, beating Belgian goalkeeper Maarten Vandevoordt.
Just four minutes later, Cherki completed the turnaround by finishing from an Olise cross.
Olise Seals Comfortable Victory
Olise continued his outstanding contribution by scoring twice in quick succession.
After setting up Cherki’s goal, the forward scored from close range before and during stoppage time to complete his brace and give France a convincing 4-1 victory.
Zidane praised his team’s second-half performance, saying the players had managed to turn the match around after struggling against Belgium’s defensive setup.
Italy Maintain Winning Momentum Against Turkey
Italy also secured three points with a 3-1 victory over Turkey, extending their unbeaten run to three matches.
Gianluca Scamacca, Riccardo Calafiori and Pio Esposito scored for Italy, while Turkey’s Aral Simsir briefly brought the visitors level.
Scamacca opened the scoring with a close-range volley that hit the crossbar before crossing the line.
Calafiori and Esposito Complete Italy’s Win
Turkey equalised just after the hour mark when Simsir finished at the far post following a well-worked team move.
Italy responded almost immediately. Just three minutes later, Calafiori restored their lead with a header from a Nicolo Barella free kick.
Esposito then added Italy’s third goal after Turkey failed to capitalise on opportunities created by Issa Doumbia and Alessandro Romano.
France Lead Group A1
The latest results leave France at the top of Nations League Group A1 with 10 points.
Italy are three points behind on seven, while Belgium have four points. Turkey remained at the bottom after suffering four defeats from four matches.
The results leave France in a strong position as the group campaign continues.