France endure late drama as Michael Olise decides for Belgique
Michael Olise's late strike secured a 1‑0 win for France over Belgique (Belgium) at the Stade de France on Monday evening, sealing the Nations League encounter after a tightly contested battle. The Bayern Munich winger, who had begun the match on the bench, delivered the decisive blow in the final minutes, leaving the Red Devils unable to respond.
Team selections and early changes
Les Bleus fielded a largely reshuffled side, with Zinédine Zidane altering nine positions in the starting eleven. Ousmane Dembélé and Michael Olise began on the bench, while the Bayern Munich star was named as a substitute. Belgium’s manager Mark van Bommel started his former Ajax player in the lineup, and the Diables Rouges made two changes.
Van Bommel’s first home match in Brussels was delayed by a few minutes after a sock problem was spotted just before the teams entered the pitch. The issue was resolved and the encounter finally kicked off.
In an open opening, the French were the first to threaten. Désiré Doué’s solo run ended with his shot rattling the crossbar, while Lucas Da Cunha later struck the post for the Bleus.
The first half remained goalless, with both sides creating chances but failing to convert, leaving the score at 0‑0 at the break.
Second half drama and decisive strike
France took control in the second period, yet the Red Devils struggled to leave their own box. Mark van Bommel had already made three substitutions, while France introduced Rayan Cherki and Michael Olise later on. Ousmane Dembélé entered after just under seventy minutes to add fresh impetus.
Just before the final whistle, Olise broke away on a superb individual run and unleashed a powerful shot that beat Senne Lammens, sealing the match for France.
The victory leaves the Bleus to face Italy on Friday, 2 October, while the Diables Rouges will meet Turkey on Friday before returning to France on Monday. Earlier, Belgium had earned a debut win in Italy (Italie) thanks to Mika Godts’s goal.