Doué revives the Blues and averts disaster at the Stade de France

Thanks to Désiré Doué's equaliser, France turned a delicate situation into a victory at the Stade de France, thus avoiding a possible disaster against Belgium. The goal put the Blues back in front and paved the way for the two subsequent scores that sealed the triumph.

Difficult start for France

Three days after the 1-1 draw with Italy, the Blues began the match against Belgium by dominating the proceedings, but a poor defensive alignment after the half‑hour allowed Dodi Lukebakio to open the scoring. Belgium then led until the final quarter‑hour.

The turning point provided by Doué and the French response

A low‑driven shot from Désiré Doué fooled the Belgian goalkeeper Marteen Vandevoordt, equalising the score. Four minutes later, Rayan Cherki doubled the lead, quickly followed by Michael Olise who finished the match with a brace, bringing the total to three French goals.

Nations League: Rayan Cherki shines at the Stade de France

Coach Zinedine Zidane highlighted that, since Doué’s arrival at Paris Saint‑Germain in the summer of 2024, every time the French international scores, his team never loses and does not even concede a draw. This statistic is based on 29 matches across all competitions, where Doué has scored at least one goal and France has won each time.

Doué recalled the immediate impact of his goals, whether it was unlocking a Ligue 1 defence, scoring in Europe or triggering the reaction with the tricolour shirt. He added: “It’s a very fine performance. We were all involved during this match, those who started, those who came on, so it’s great.”

Rayan Cherki explains his new role after the Blues' victory

This victory confirms the solidity of the team led by Zinedine Zidane and shows that Doué’s contribution remains decisive in key moments. France thus continues its path in the competition, with confidence reinforced after this turnaround.