Zinedine Zidane praised France’s unity after his side produced a dramatic late turnaround to beat Belgium 4-1 in the Nations League.
France appeared to be heading towards a first defeat of Zidane’s unbeaten reign when Dodi Lukebakio’s 35th-minute goal gave Belgium the lead at the Stade de France.
That advantage remained intact until the final 13 minutes, when Zidane’s substitutions transformed the match. Desire Doue equalised before Rayan Cherki put France in front four minutes later.
Michael Olise then scored twice in the space of three minutes to complete a striking victory. Olise also created Cherki’s goal, and the result leaves France within touching distance of a place in the quarter-finals.
The hosts had dominated for long periods, although their control was not reflected on the scoreboard until the late burst of goals. Zidane said the response after the difficult first half demonstrated the character of his squad.
“This is soccer, this is what we love,” Zidane said.
“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.”
Zidane also highlighted the influence of those introduced from the bench, while stressing that the victory was not down to the substitutes alone.
“We knew the substitutes could change the game because they are high-quality players,” he said.
“But, once again, it was a complete team performance; while the substitutes might have made the difference when they came on, everyone has been good over these past two weeks – everyone played their part, and that’s what stands out to me.”
Doue, Cherki and Olise were all prominent in France’s attacking display, with each player creating two chances. Olise had four attempts on goal, a figure surpassed only by Ousmane Dembele, who had five.
Olise’s two goals also continued his outstanding Nations League form. He has now scored in each of his past three matches in the competition, with four goals in total.
No France player has scored more than Olise during this international break.
The forward said the team had responded well to Zidane’s instructions and that the players had collectively contributed to the result.
“It’s a collective effort, too,” Olise said.
“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.”
