France substitute Michael Olise scored two minutes from time as the visitors snatched a late 1-0 win against Belgium in the Nations League on Monday, while Italy returned to winning ways with a thumping 4-1 away triumph over Türkiye.
Fortunes ebbed and flowed in Brussels but Olise kept up France coach Zinedine Zidane’s winning start to his new job with a surging run from midway inside the Belgian half before a superb finish to win the Group A1 fixture.
France were without captain Kylian Mbappe and Zidane made nine changes to the side that edged Türkiye 1-0 last week but it was after bringing on the likes of Ousmane Dembele, Rayan Cherki and Olise that the French turned the game in their favour.
“We played a good game, we deserved to win, and we are all relieved by Michael’s goal,” said France debutant Lucas da Cunha. “My performance? The coach gave me his full confidence and told me to express myself, to do what I do at club level. I felt good on the pitch.”
Desire Doue was a persistent danger as he took on the home defence and twice hit the woodwork but Belgium will rue the opportunities they spurned with Mika Godts outstanding for them.
“It is a pity, especially because the goal came so late. We created chances ourselves, looked dangerous, and gave very little away. A draw would have been a fairer result,” said Belgium centre back Brandon Mechele.
Italy lost last Friday’s opening fixture of their Nations League campaign 2-0 at home to Belgium in a false start for Roberto Mancini on his return to the coaching job, but in the rain in Bursa they looked a very different outfit.
Alessandro Bastoni gave the visitors a ninth-minute lead from a corner and 13 minutes later Davide Frattesi pounced on a rebound after Michael Kayode’s shot from the left was parried by goalkeeper Altay Bayındır.
Italy were 3-0 up in the 27th minute as debutant Kayode hit home a low effort and the visitors finished the half with 10 attempts such was their dominance.
The frenetic nature of the game continued after the break as Barıs Alper Yılmaz pulled one back for Türkiye, who made three substitutions at halftime, but Italy’s three-goal advantage was restored as Pio Esposito headed home a fourth in the 50th.
“The team played well, pressed high, kept possession and played the ball through. We had to focus on this match, which was a difficult one,” said Mancini, whose team go to Paris on Friday to face the French.
Bosnia registered an emphatic 4-2 win away to Romania in Bucharest in Group B4 as former great Gheorghe Hagi suffered another setback on his return to the manager’s post.
But Sweden lead the group two points above Bosnia after a second home win, this time 3-1 over Poland in Stockholm.
The two Group B2 fixtures ended goalless with Ukraine away in Georgia and Northern Ireland home to Hungary.
Montenegro’s Aleksa Latkovic scored a last-minute winner as they won 3-2 in Armenia to move three points clear of their opponents on six points atop Group C2 where Latvia and Cyprus drew 0-0 in Riga to each pick up their first point.
