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France left Brussels with a narrow victory, but not a meager one. Without Kylian Mbappé, with a heavily reshuffled team and against a Belgium side that remained tenacious for a long time, Zinédine Zidane’s Blues won 1-0 on Monday night in the Nations League. Michael Olise, who came on during the match, scored the decisive goal in the 88th minute. Two matches, two victories: the new manager already has a clear thread running through the team.
A reshuffled starting eleven, not a second-rate team
This trip to the King Baudouin Stadium had all the makings of a useful test.
This trip to the King Baudouin Stadium had all the makings of a useful test. France was coming off a first victory in Turkey, but this time it had to cope without Mbappé, who was injured during the international break, and with a less familiar starting eleven. Zidane therefore changed the faces without changing the idea: keeping the ball on the ground, pushing high up the pitch and aiming to press early enough to stop Belgium from breathing.
The performance was not perfect, especially in the final move. But it had the merit of showing a team capable of maintaining its coherence despite the rotations. In this kind of September match, in the middle of a compact international window, that is often more valuable than a festival of goals. The Blues enjoyed long spells of possession, forced Belgium to defend deep at times and gave playing time to players who are no longer merely there to fill out a squad list.
The most encouraging point may lie there: France did not seem to be waiting for its absent captain to give itself direction. It lacked cutting edge, yes, but not intent. For a newly appointed manager, that is already a solid foundation to build on.
Olise, the cool-headed weapon at the right moment
The match seemed to be drifting toward a frustrating draw when Michael Olise changed the temperature of the evening. In the 88th minute, the winger found a way through with an individual move that punished a Belgium side that had held firm until then. The goal did more than secure three points; it reminded everyone that France possesses, behind its most highly publicized established players, a reserve of creators capable of deciding a tight match.
Olise is thus confirming his growing importance within the squad. Already involved in the previous victory, he brings a rare quality: the ability to play calmly when everything around him speeds up. In a team that is still finding its balance, this kind of profile prevents many interminable debates about a lack of inspiration.
Belgium, meanwhile, can regret having lasted almost the entire match without converting its more direct spells. The Red Devils defended seriously and tried to respond on the counterattack, but eventually gave way just when the draw seemed within reach. Cruel, but not illogical given the pressure France applied throughout the match.
Zidane is moving quickly, but the work remains unfinished
Two victories in two outings inevitably provide some breathing room. They do not solve everything. France still needs to become more efficient in the box, better balance certain transition phases and clarify the attacking hierarchy when Mbappé becomes available again. But Zidane can already rely on something concrete: his squad responds, even when the setting changes.
The victory in Belgium also carries symbolic value. Winning away against a team accustomed to major occasions, with a reshaped side, establishes a form of quiet authority. Zidane does not need to multiply grand speeches if his players provide this kind of response on the pitch.
The next matches will show whether this perfect start can withstand opposition that will adapt its plan more quickly. Italy will soon enter the Blues’ landscape, and that will be a different examination: less room for mistakes, more weight on every loss of possession. For now, France has taken six points, found a backup scorer who is anything but a second choice and given its new manager a first week without a hitch. In international football, that is already almost a luxury.