Zidane flags surface presence lack despite the Bleus' celebration

At the Stade de France, the Blues turned the tables on Belgium 4‑1 thanks to four goals scored in the last fifteen minutes, but Zinédine Zidane reminded, on TF1's microphone, that the second half, although “extraordinary”, highlighted a persistent lack of presence in the penalty area.

An offensive display against Belgium

After a sluggish start, France conceded the first goal to Dodi Lukebakio before the half‑hour mark. The comeback was slow, but the substitutions of Désiré Doué, Michael Olise and Rayan Cherki quickly changed the dynamic. Doué opened the French scoring, followed by two strikes from Olise and a goal from Cherki, taking the result to 4‑1.

Zidane highlights the lack of presence in the box

On TF1's microphone, Zinédine Zidane described the second half as “extraordinary”, emphasizing the squad's ability to turn the situation around. He nevertheless noted that “we lacked a bit of occupying the penalty area” over the four matches, especially during overloads and through balls. The coach added that the team needs to improve verticality and speed in the last twenty to thirty metres.

The Blues top the group and outlook

This third win in four matches puts France in first place in Group 1, with three victories and a draw against Italy. The next meeting, scheduled for 12 November against the Nazionale, will provide the chance to officially confirm qualification for the quarter‑finals. Zidane recalled that the team remains unbeaten and capable of responding in difficult moments.

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

The changes introduced by the coach indeed altered the course of the match. He explained that “we knew that with the changes, we could change the game” thanks to the quality of the players brought on. Doué and Olise, already decisive against Belgium, confirmed his intuition by taking part in the three goals of the second act.

Leny Yoro made a very solid first appearance in the Blues, rated 7.5/10, while Eduardo Camavinga received the same score for his role as a deep‑lying midfielder. In contrast, Ousmane Dembélé was criticised for his ball losses and lack of involvement, described as “completely missing the match”. Jules Koundé saw his status as right‑back called into question after a difficult encounter, highlighting that he needs to wake up to keep his place.

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

In summary, the evening highlighted a dazzling offensive capability but also a lack of physical presence in the box, a point that Zidane said he wants to correct “little by little”. Confident, he asserted “it will come” and said he was “proud” of the squad, hinting at a positive evolution for the upcoming challenges.