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Zinedine Zidane Praises France After Michael Olise's Brilliant Performance Fuels Dramatic Nations League Win Over Belgium
Amir Azimi
Daily News

Zinedine Zidane Praises France After Michael Olise's Brilliant Performance Fuels Dramatic Nations League Win Over Belgium

Michael Olise Leads France's Stunning 4-1 Comeback Against Belgium

Zinedine Zidane's substitutes, led by Michael Olise, played a key role in a remarkable Nations League victory at the Stade de France. France overturned a one-goal deficit to beat Belgium 4-1, marking Zidane's first home win as manager.

Late Surge Secures Vital Victory

The match changed dramatically in a 14-minute spell when three second-half substitutes turned the tide. Desire Doue, Rayan Cherki, and Michael Olise scored four goals to secure all three points for Les Bleus. This win puts France three points ahead of Italy in Group A1, who themselves defeated Turkey 3-1 on the same evening.

Belgium Takes Early Lead

Belgium stunned the crowd in the 35th minute through Dodi Lukebakio, who capitalized on a long pass from Romeo Lavia to score past debut goalkeeper Guillaume Restes. France struggled to respond until Zidane made tactical substitutions that paid off handsomely.

Substitutes Spark the Turnaround

  • 77th minute: Desire Doue equalizes with a precise low shot to the bottom right corner.
  • 81st minute: Rayan Cherki capitalizes on an error by goalkeeper Maarten Vandevoordt, giving France the lead.
  • 84th & 87th minutes: Michael Olise scores twice in quick succession to complete the comeback.

Zidane Applauds Team Effort

"Tonight, this is soccer, this is what we love," Zidane said, according to ESPN. "We faced some difficulties in the first half, but that's part of the game. It's the kind of match you get from time to time. It's good to set things right - which is what we did - and we managed to play an extraordinary second half."

Olise also praised the collective effort after his decisive appearance: "It’s a collective effort, too. He [Zidane] brings in ideas, we follow them - we've done that well over the last four matches, we're going to continue like this."

France Near Quarter-Final Qualification

This victory puts France close to qualifying for the Nations League quarter-finals. The top two teams from each group move on to the knockout stage next year. Zidane's squad would have qualified if Italy had dropped points against Turkey, but they must wait until their final international break to confirm their spot.

  • Upcoming Matches:
  • November trip to Italy
  • Home match against Turkey

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