Joker Michael Olise sparks France's B team revival in Nations League

In the closing stages of the France‑Belgium clash, the crowd watched as Joker Michael Olise, brought on as a substitute, struck in the 88th minute to clinch a 1‑0 win for the Nations League side, delivering Frankreich's second victory and seeing Italien defeat Turkey.

Olise’s decisive strike

Olise’s goal came just minutes after his introduction, sealing the match for the Equipe Tricolore. The French line‑up also featured debutants Andy Diouf, Jeremy Jacquet and Lucas da Cunha, while Desire Doues saw his early effort hit the bar and Senne Lammens denied a late chance from da Cunha. The performance underscored the impact of the Joker in a game without the injured Superstars Kylian Mbappe, the Star whose knee injury had already sent him home to Madrid.

Zinedine Zidane rotated his squad at the start, fielding nine changes and beginning without Olise or Ousmane Dembele. Despite the absence of the injured Kylian Mbappe, the Equipe Tricolore maintained composure, with the Joker’s late finish providing the decisive edge.

Olise scores at 88', Da Cunha hits post: Zidane leads Montella's Bleus

Italy’s dominant reply

Meanwhile, Italy responded emphatically, beating Turkey 4‑1 in Bursa. Roberto Mancini’s side, guided by coach Vincenzo Montella for the Turks, saw Alessandro Bastoni open the scoring, followed by Davide Frattesi and Michael Kayode before half‑time. In the second half, Pio Esposito added a fifth‑minute goal, while Baris Yilmaz was the sole Turkish scorer.

Mark van Bommel, observing the match, noted that his Roten Teufeln found little relief against the Italian surge, managing only a consolation goal after the Italian onslaught.

Olise frees France in the dying moments in Brussels

With six points, France now tops Nations League Group A1, ahead of the Roten Teufeln and Italien, each on three points, while Turkey remains winless. The victory reinforces the resurgence of the Equipe Tricolore under Zidane and sets the stage for the upcoming Friday fixture in Paris.