France staged one of the great Nations League comebacks on Monday night, scoring four goals in the final 14 minutes to beat Belgium 4-1 at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis after trailing for most of the contest. UEFA Nations League leaders France were rescued by a trio of substitutes, with Michael Olise coming off the bench to inspire the rout and hand Zinedine Zidane his first home victory since taking charge.
Zidane rolls the dice with ten changes
Zidane had shuffled his side heavily for the final match of the international window. Zidane heavily rotated his team for the last match of this two-week long international window, with only Dembele keeping his place among the 10 changes, and two uncapped players were handed significant roles. Manchester United defender Leny Yoro and Toulouse goalkeeper Guillaume Restes made their France debuts, with Ousmane Dembele again captaining the side in the absence of the injured Kylian Mbappe.
Lukébakio punishes a sluggish France
Belgium made the most of their opportunity despite missing key names. Belgium were without the suspended duo of Kevin De Bruyne and Youri Tielemans but caught France cold when Romeo Lavia's superb ball split open the home defence, allowing Lukebakio to race clear and tuck away a clinical finish. The goal, scored in the 35th minute, had fired Belgium into a first-half lead which they held on to until the 77th minute at the Stade de France.
Four goals in fourteen minutes
With France toothless for long spells, Zidane turned to his bench after the hour mark, and the gamble transformed the night. It was the third substitute, Doue, who grabbed the equaliser when he received the ball with his back to goal on the edge of the box, turned and arrowed a low shot into the far corner. Three minutes later Olise darted to the byline and pulled the ball back for Cherki to crash home, and with two minutes left Olise held off Raskin before firing across Vandevoordt and into the net.
Olise and Doué: the super-subs who rescued Zidane
The pair combined devastatingly once introduced. He scored the equaliser in the 77th minute and then turned provider, assisting Michael Olise for France's third and fourth goals, while Olise was sensational after coming on in the 60th minute, providing the assist for Rayan Cherki's goal to make it 2-1 and then scoring two goals himself in the 88th and 91st minutes to put the result beyond doubt.
Zidane later gave his verdict on the turnaround, with reports describing him hailing his side's display as “extraordinary” after the match, a fitting word for a 14-minute spell that flipped the contest on its head.
Where this leaves Group A1
The result was France's second win over Belgium inside a week. France, who also beat Belgium 1-0 in Brussels last week thanks to a late Olise goal, moved three points clear of Italy at the top of Group A1, with Belgium another point back. It continues a strong start for Zidane, with the result marking three wins from four for Zidane to start his tenure, while Mark van Bommel's Belgium sit on six points from a potential 12.
Standings after matchday four
France now sit clear at the summit after four games, having also seen off the challenge from Italy, who kept pace with a win elsewhere. The result strengthens France's grip on Group A1, with Zidane's side now sitting three points clear of Italy, who earned a 3-1 victory over Turkey on the same night. Belgium remain third, still well placed to reach the knockout stages given the gap to bottom side Türkiye.
What comes next
Attention now turns to the business end of the group phase, with France well placed. The win moved Zidane's side closer to the quarter-finals of the competition, a stage Ireland followers have been tracking closely through other ties such as the Czechia clash with England and the Spain win over England at Wembley, both played in the same international window.
How to watch Nations League football in Ireland
Monday's match was shown live for Irish audiences, with France vs Belgium airing free on Virgin Media Play in Ireland, with Virgin Media Two providing linear viewing and English commentary for the game. Viewers should note that matches involving the Republic of Ireland will be on RTÉ 2 and streaming service RTÉ Player, while select games involving other countries will be on Virgin Media Play for the remainder of this Nations League campaign.
For France, the night will be remembered as the moment their next generation of substitutes, led by Olise and Doué, announced themselves on the biggest stage, with Zidane's faith in his bench paying off spectacularly against one of Europe's most feared attacking sides.