The Blues' late comeback brightens Zidane's future

Under the lights of the Stade de France, a new Les Bleus saw the match against Belgium swing after an early goal from Dodi Lukebakio. Trailing 1-0 after the first half‑hour, they waited until the final quarter‑hour to equalise thanks to Désiré Doué, before chaining together decisive strikes.

Dodi Lukebakio's goal, scored shortly after the half‑hour mark, put Belgium in front. The French defence struggled to respond, and it was only at the start of the final quarter‑hour that Désiré Doué found the net, bringing the score level.

An avalanche then unfolded: Rayan Cherki doubled the lead, then Michael Olise scored a brace in the very last minutes, sealing the 4-1 final in France's favour.

Daniel Riolo's analysis

"On the match of this (Monday) evening, OK, we finish with fireworks and it's great. But while the Belgians lead 1-0 and up to the equaliser, it's really not good. We stumble, we go round in circles because there are players who can't make the difference," said pundit Daniel Riolo. He added that "Olise has become a mainstay of this team, the forward cannot be Dembélé, it will be Mbappé, and on the left there will be Désiré Doué because he is good every time he plays and he must be rewarded."

Olise, Doué and Cherki light up the Stade de France against Belgium

He also stressed the need to move on from Rabiot, advocating placing Lucas Da Cunha in front of the defence and Eduardo Camavinga in midfield. "The question will remain: if you really want to be very attacking, the spot will be for Cherki if he manages to master this position which is new for him, or alternatively a slightly more defensive midfielder," he explained.

Emmanuel Petit’s reactions

Emmanuel Petit shared this view, highlighting that "when they were lined up against Belgium, I found them huge and tonight Camavinga delivered another big performance tonight." He did, however, note that midfielder Adrien Rabiot, who scored the equaliser against Italy on Friday, was far less convincing.

An emotional scene at the Stade de France between Zidane and Jacquet

This rapid‑fire finish inevitably altered the perception of Zinedine Zidane's men, who now see their tactical choices and starting line‑ups called into question after the first four matches.