France produced a remarkable late comeback in Paris on Monday, recovering from a 1-0 deficit against Belgium to secure a 4-1 victory in the Nations League. For 76 minutes, the hosts struggled to convert their dominance into goals, but a stunning 14-minute burst transformed the match and delivered a commanding result.
The victory also strengthened France’s position at the top of Group A1, with Zinedine Zidane’s side moving to 10 points from four matches.
France controlled much of the opening period and repeatedly pushed into Belgium’s defensive third. The hosts created several promising opportunities, but their forwards lacked the finishing touch needed to make their pressure count. Esteban Lepaul was among those who failed to capitalise on chances as Belgium defended their lead with increasing confidence.
Belgium, meanwhile, looked dangerous when they were able to break quickly. Their counter-attacking approach paid off in the 35th minute when Dodi Lukebakio found the net to put the visitors 1-0 ahead.
France continued to press after the interval. Despite maintaining an attacking approach and creating further openings, they could not find an equaliser. With the match approaching its final stages, Zidane decided to make significant changes to his attacking options.
Michael Olise, Luca da Cunha and Rayan Cherki were introduced together in the 60th minute. Désiré Doué followed in the 72nd minute. The substitutions immediately added greater pace and attacking urgency to France’s play.
Five minutes after coming on, Doué levelled the score in the 77th minute. France had finally found the breakthrough they needed, and the momentum shifted rapidly. Only four minutes later, Cherki completed the turnaround by putting the hosts 2-1 ahead.
Belgium struggled to contain France after conceding twice in quick succession. Olise then took centre stage. He scored in the 88th minute to make it 3-1 before adding another goal in the first minute of stoppage time, completing a remarkable 14-minute spell in which France scored four times.
What had looked like a potential defeat had become a convincing victory.
Speaking after the match, Zidane expressed his satisfaction with the way his players responded to their difficult first half. The France manager said the ability to recognise their problems, make adjustments and improve after the interval was crucial to the result.
“What happened tonight is football, and it is what we love,” Zidane said. “We had some problems in the first half, but that is part of the game. Sometimes matches develop like that.”
He was particularly pleased with the manner in which his side corrected its shortcomings after the break.
“It is always good to correct things after making mistakes, and that is exactly what we did in an outstanding second half,” he said. “In the first half, we were just missing by very little time and again. But afterwards we turned the match around, and that was excellent.”
The substitutes played a major role in the comeback, with Doué scoring the equaliser, Cherki putting France ahead and Olise adding two late goals. Zidane, however, was keen to emphasise that the victory belonged to the entire squad rather than only those who came off the bench.
“We knew the substitutes could change the course of the game. They are high-quality players,” he said. “But again, this was a complete team performance. Although the substitutes made a difference when they came on, everyone has played well over the past two weeks. Each player has played their part, and that is what stands out most to me.”
The result leaves France at the summit of Group A1 with 10 points from four matches. Their record includes two victories over Belgium, a win against Turkey and a draw with Italy. Italy are second on seven points from the same number of matches.
Olise, one of the principal figures in France’s comeback, also credited the team’s collective effort and Zidane’s tactical approach for the result.
“It was a collective effort,” Olise said. “He brings new ideas and we follow them. We have done that well over the last four matches and we will continue in the same way.”
France’s victory was therefore a striking example of how quickly the balance of a match can change. Belgium had held the lead until the 76th minute, but France responded with four goals in 14 minutes to turn a difficult evening into one of their most emphatic victories of the campaign.
