TACTICAL BRIEFING
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5 October 2026
France's Fiery Finish: Olise Sparks Dramatic Comeback Against Belgium
France turned the game on its head with a remarkable late surge, scoring four goals in just 14 minutes to secure a 4-1 victory over Belgium in the Nations League. Michael Olise, who came off the bench, played a pivotal role in this thrilling comeback, giving Zinedine Zidane his first home win since taking the helm.
Belgium looked poised to claim their first competitive win over the French in 45 years when Dodi Lukébakio struck first, putting the visitors ahead in the first half at the Stade de France. However, the hosts flipped the script in spectacular fashion, showcasing their attacking prowess to keep Zidane's unbeaten streak intact and inch closer to the quarter-finals.
Désiré Doué leveled the match for France in the 77th minute with a powerful shot from the edge of the area. Just four minutes later, Olise set up Rayan Cherki, who found the back of the net to put France in front. Olise wasn't done yet; he scored one himself shortly after and capped off the night with another goal in stoppage time.
With this win, France now sits three points clear of Italy at the top of Group A1, while Belgium lingers a point behind. Italy got in on the action too, defeating Turkey 3-1 in Bologna, thanks to goals from Gianluca Scamacca, Riccardo Calafiori, and Pio Esposito, leaving Turkey with four consecutive losses.
Zidane opted for a heavily rotated squad for this final match of the international window, with only Ousmane Dembélé retaining his spot among ten changes. Young talents like Leny Yoro and goalkeeper Guillaume Restes made their debuts, with Dembélé taking on the captaincy role in the absence of the injured Kylian Mbappé.
Belgium, missing suspended stars Kevin De Bruyne and Youri Tielemans, stunned France early on when Roméo Lavia delivered a brilliant pass that Lukébakio converted into a goal. Despite pressure from France, including attempts from Esteban Lepaul and Cherki, debut goalkeeper Maarten Vandevoordt made some key saves until the French breakthrough finally came.
Doué's shot on the turn equalized the match, and Olise's contributions quickly followed, shifting the momentum entirely. His final two goals underscored a remarkable turnaround and displayed the depth of talent in the French squad.
In other Nations League action, Hungary clinched a 2-1 win over Ukraine thanks to a late goal from Mark Csinger. Meanwhile, Sweden's Viktor Gyökeres continued his scoring streak, netting the only goal in a 1-0 victory over Romania, and Bosnia and Herzegovina edged past Poland with a late penalty from Ivan Basic. Cyprus also made headlines as Marcus Edwards scored a stoppage-time winner to secure a 2-1 comeback against Latvia.