Zinédine Zidane ended his first international break with France on a high after Les Bleus overturned Belgium to secure a 4-1 victory. Despite a difficult first half, France found another gear after the break, with Michael Olise, Rayan Cherki and Désiré Doué turning the game around.
The result leaves Zidane’s side top of League A Group 1 and gives the new coach three wins and one draw from his first four matches.
After the game, Zidane admitted that Belgium had caused problems before France changed the tempo. “That’s football. That’s what we love. We faced difficulties in the first half. It’s good to correct course, and that’s what we did,” he explained. The French coach praised his substitutes for changing the match and highlighted the quality within his squad. He also identified greater verticality in attack and better movement inside the penalty area as two areas that France must improve.
Zidane also highlighted the unity within the squad as one of the biggest positives from his first gathering. He praised the players’ attitude, work ethic and support for one another throughout the two weeks. France will now turn its attention to the final Nations League fixtures, with an away clash against Italy on November 12 followed by a home meeting with Turkey three days later.
