France continued their promising start under Zinédine Zidane. Despite a heavily rotated line-up, Les Bleus claimed a 1-0 victory in Belgium thanks to a late goal from Michael Olise. Désiré Doué and Lucas Da Cunha also impressed. Here is the match summary and France player ratings.
France had to wait until the closing stages to make the breakthrough. For his second Nations League match, Zidane made major changes to his starting XI, but Les Bleus gradually took control through possession and several dangerous chances. Doué was particularly lively and hit the crossbar, while Da Cunha also struck the woodwork and delivered an excellent performance in midfield.
Olise strikes late to give France victory
Zidane eventually found the answer from his bench. Introduced during the second half, Olise scored the only goal of the match in the 88th minute. The winner sparked a wild celebration from Zidane, who sprinted down the touchline before kicking a loose ball after seeing his team take the lead. The 1-0 victory confirmed France’s encouraging start to this new era, with several players taking their opportunity to challenge the established hierarchy.
France player ratings:
Maignan: 6/10 – Rarely tested, but responded when needed.
Jacquet: 7/10 – A solid and commanding performance with very few mistakes.
Lacroix: 7/10 – Strong in the duels and assured with his interventions.
Kalulu: 6.5/10 – A disciplined and composed display.
Diouf: 6.5/10 – Active down his flank and dangerous when pushing forward.
Camavinga: 6.5/10 – Very active in midfield, although he could sometimes have moved the ball quicker.
Da Cunha: 8/10 ⭐ – One of the biggest positives of the night. Always available, technically sharp and ambitious, he also hit the Belgian woodwork.
Akliouche: 6/10 – Some promising sequences, but his influence was inconsistent.
Doué: 8/10 🔥 – France’s most dangerous player for much of the game. Explosive and unpredictable, he notably struck the crossbar.
Barcola: 5.5/10 – Plenty of activity and a few bursts of acceleration, but not enough impact in the final third.
Lepaul: 4/10 – A difficult evening. Rarely involved and too quiet to trouble the Belgian defence.
Substitutes: Dembélé 6/10, Cherki 7/10, Olise 8/10, Koné not rated.
Top performers: Doué, Da Cunha and Olise.
Flop: Lepaul.
