France: Zinédine Zidane's coaching turns the tide against Belgium, with three substitutes making the difference

05.10.26 FT UEFA Nations League A

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Belgium

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The coaching of Zinédine Zidane turned France-Belgium on its head. Trailing 1-0 until the 77th minute, France won 4-1 thanks to the three substitutes brought on by the manager, all of whom scored in the final quarter of an hour.

France appeared to be heading for defeat against Belgium. In the 77th minute, Les Bleus were still trailing 1-0 before Zinédine Zidane altered his team with several changes. Désiré Doué, Rayan Cherki and Michael Olise then came on. The three players quickly made the difference and played a direct part in the spectacular turnaround.

The three substitutes turn the match around

Désiré Doué first brought France level. Rayan Cherki then put Les Bleus ahead before Michael Olise finished the job. The forward scored twice in the closing minutes. In just a few moments, France went from an expected defeat to a comprehensive 4-1 victory.

The three players introduced by Zidane were therefore directly involved in all four goals scored by France after the 77th minute.

Read also: France national team: Zinédine Zidane identifies an area for improvement

France turn the tide against Belgium late in the match

After trailing for much of the match, France stepped up in the final quarter of an hour. Zinédine Zidane's changes brought new energy to the team. Les Bleus ultimately won 4-1 after trailing until the 77th minute. The match will be remembered for the effectiveness of the three substitutes, all of whom scored after coming on.

Substitute Olise had already made the difference in the first leg

In the first leg, the script had already favored a French substitute. Michael Olise came on in the 77th minute in place of Bradley Barcola before giving Les Bleus the lead eleven minutes later. In the 88th minute, the Bayern Munich winger won the ball in midfield, accelerated for nearly 60 meters and then found the bottom corner with a left-footed shot. His goal gave France a 1-0 victory in Brussels, a scoreline they preserved until the final whistle.

This second match against Belgium therefore reinforces the parallel: once again, Zidane's decisions from the bench directly influenced the outcome of the match.

Nouya M'toama

Editorfr, en

Versatile journalist specializing in sports and political news, with extensive experience across radio, print and digital media platforms.

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UEFA Nations League A