Belgium vs France ended with a narrow 1-0 victory for the visitors, as Michael Olise produced a brilliant individual goal in the 88th minute to break Belgium’s resistance and give Zinedine Zidane two wins from his opening two matches as France manager.

France had struggled to turn their possession and attacking opportunities into a goal for most of the evening, particularly with Kylian Mbappe absent after suffering a knee injury in the victory over Turkey, but Olise’s introduction in the second half changed the contest as the Bayern Munich winger provided the moment of individual quality that had been missing.

The result keeps France at the top of Group A1 in the UEFA Nations League, while Belgium are left to reflect on a disciplined defensive performance that was undone only in the closing stages of an otherwise closely contested encounter in Brussels.

Belgium vs France produces late drama in Brussels

Zidane made nine changes to the side that defeated Turkey on Friday, giving several players an opportunity to impress while also testing the depth available to him early in his tenure. The changes inevitably affected France’s rhythm, and although the visitors were able to create several openings, they struggled to find the fluency that had characterised parts of their previous performance.

Belgium were more than capable of taking advantage of that uncertainty, particularly through Mika Godts and Dodi Lukebakio, whose pace and directness repeatedly offered the hosts an outlet whenever they recovered possession. The Belgian attackers caused problems for a relatively inexperienced French defence, although they ultimately lacked the final pass or finish required to turn their promising moments into a breakthrough.

France gradually began to create more dangerous opportunities as the match progressed, with Desire Doue emerging as one of the visitors’ most influential attacking players. The youngster produced five attempts during the game, but despite repeatedly testing Belgium’s defensive structure, he could not find the decisive finish, while one of his efforts struck the crossbar.

Lucas da Cunha also came close to opening the scoring on his international debut when his effort struck the post, ensuring that France had genuine opportunities to take control of the contest even though Belgium remained stubborn and organised.

Olise changes the game for France

With the match seemingly heading towards a goalless conclusion, Zidane turned to Olise in the 76th minute, and the Bayern Munich winger eventually delivered the decisive contribution less than 15 minutes after entering the field.

The goal was almost entirely the product of individual brilliance, as Olise collected the ball inside his own half before accelerating into Belgian territory and carrying possession through the heart of the defence. Despite pressure from the Belgian players attempting to close him down, he maintained his composure, shook off a challenge and continued his run towards the penalty area.

When the opportunity finally arrived, Olise showed the composure expected of a player operating at the highest level, calmly guiding his finish into the bottom corner to give France the lead with only two minutes of normal time remaining.

Rayan Cherki provided the assist, but the quality of the goal belonged largely to Olise, whose powerful run and composed finish transformed what had been a frustrating evening for France into another victory under Zidane.

For Belgium, the timing made the defeat particularly difficult to accept because their defensive organisation had largely kept France at bay throughout the evening. They had survived several dangerous moments, restricted France’s attacking players and created opportunities themselves, only for one exceptional piece of individual quality to settle the contest.

Zidane continues impressive start with France

The victory represents another encouraging result for Zidane, who has now won both of his opening matches since taking charge of the France national team. After Friday’s victory over Turkey, this success against Belgium gives the former France captain maximum points from his first two Nations League fixtures and places his team at the top of Group A1.

However, the performance also provided Zidane with several issues to consider, particularly because France were unable to turn their opportunities into goals until the closing stages. The absence of Mbappe was significant, with the France captain missing after picking up a knee injury against Turkey, and his absence left Zidane without one of his most reliable sources of attacking threat.

The manager will also have been encouraged by the performances of several players who were given opportunities after the extensive rotation, particularly Doue, who repeatedly threatened the Belgian defence despite failing to find the net. Olise’s contribution will naturally attract most of the attention, however, because his introduction ultimately supplied the creativity and decisiveness France needed.

The fact that France were able to win despite making nine changes also demonstrates the depth available to Zidane as he begins to shape his squad, although Belgium’s resistance ensured that the visitors were made to work until the final moments.

Belgium left frustrated after strong defensive display

Belgium can take some encouragement from the way they competed against a France side packed with international quality, particularly because they remained in the contest for almost the entire 90 minutes and prevented the visitors from establishing sustained control.

Their defensive structure frustrated France’s attackers for long periods, while Godts and Lukebakio provided enough attacking threat to suggest that the hosts could have taken advantage had they been more precise in the final third. The problem for Belgium was that their promising moments did not result in a goal, and once Olise found the breakthrough, there was simply too little time remaining to respond.

France’s victory therefore came down to the fine margins that often decide international football matches, with Belgium doing much of what was required to earn a point before an outstanding individual action changed everything.

The result leaves France looking ahead to their next Group A1 fixture against Italy with confidence, while Belgium will face Turkey knowing that they need to turn their promising performances into points if they are to remain competitive in the group.

For Zidane, meanwhile, the biggest takeaway will be the manner in which his team found a solution despite struggling for much of the evening. Olise’s late brilliance provided the difference, and after two matches, France have two victories and a place at the top of their Nations League group.