French media praise revamped side after win in Brussels

On a cool Monday evening at the King Baudouin Stadium, the Red Devils fought against a heavily revamped French eleven. France emerged as the 0-1 winner of the Nations League match, while the Belgian defence received praise for its resilience in Brussels.

French media praise revamped eleven

L’Équipe praised France's performance and highlighted the nine changes that head coach Zinédine Zidane made compared to the match against Turkey. Le JDD noted that, despite those changes, the team dominated Belgium and earned a deserved victory, with a rating of eight for Zidane. Le Parisien followed the match live and emphasized that France's broad selection was a signal of the depth of the talent pool. TF1 Info described the side as strongly altered and rejuvenated, yet still in control for long periods.

The decisive action came from Michael Olise, who, eleven minutes after his substitution, covered almost the entire field and scored the winning goal in the 88th minute. L’Équipe called Olise the man of the decision, while Désiré Doué was constantly present in the Belgian sixteen and hit the post in the first half. TF1 also praised Lucas Da Cunha, who, on his debut, played an important role in midfield.

Zidane blames Deschamps after France's late win over Belgium

Belgian resilience and crucial moments

The Red Devils nevertheless had chances in the closing stages; goalkeeper Mike Maignan had to deny a shot from Dodi Lukebakio and Maxence Lacroix made a vital intervention. Despite these moments Belgium remained under pressure, but their resilience was praised by the French press. The Belgian defence held firm until the decisive moment.

For the French coach the victory meant his second success in his first two matches as head coach, confirming the breadth of his selection. The positive coverage underlines that France, despite the experiments, remains attractive and dangerous to play against. The performance in Brussels is seen as a signal for the upcoming Nations League rounds.

Zidane replaces Cherki, starts Da Cunha, Bleus excluded after Belgium