France secured a 2-0 victory over Belgium in the UEFA Nations League, thanks to goals from Randal Kolo Muani and Ousmane Dembele, rebounding from a previous loss to Italy. Kolo Muani and Dembele were the scorers as France overcame a recent defeat to Italy, triumphing over Belgium 2-0 in the UEFA Nations League on Monday.
France’s forward Ousmane Dembele (#11) celebrated after netting the second goal during the UEFA Nations League encounter. The match, held in Lyon, saw France field a lineup with eight changes from their previous game, including the absence of captain Kylian Mbappe.
Despite an early lead, France lost 3-1 to Italy in Paris last Friday. Conversely, Belgium entered this match after a 3-1 victory over Israel. The win was a relief for coach Didier Deschamps following the disappointing performance against Italy.
“I am delighted with our response and our performance against a strong Belgian team that challenged us in the first 20 minutes,” said Deschamps, whose name was met with jeers from some sections of the crowd. “Friday’s game was not our worst, and I won’t claim everything is perfect now.”
This match mirrored the Euro 2024 last-16 clash where France narrowly won 1-0 due to a late own goal in Duesseldorf. In Lyon, France took the lead just before the half-hour mark when Kolo Muani capitalized on a rebound from Dembele’s mishit shot, parried by Belgian goalkeeper Koen Casteels.
Belgium, captained by Kevin De Bruyne, failed to equalize, and France doubled their lead at 57 minutes with a remarkable solo effort by Dembele. The Paris Saint-Germain winger cut in from the right and scored with a powerful left-footed shot.
In the second half, Mbappe, Antoine Griezmann, and Michael Olise came off the bench for France, securing the win and boosting morale after the Italian defeat. Italy leads Group A2 with six points after defeating Israel 2-1 on Monday. France and Belgium each have three points, while Israel remains without a point. Upcoming matches in October include Italy facing Belgium in Rome and Israel playing France in Budapest.