The first half of Zinédine Zidane’s France era began without a goal in Izmit on Friday night, as Les Bleus went into the interval level at 0-0 with Turkey in their opening match of the 2027 Nations League campaign.
A cautious start in Izmit
Turkey and France struggled to create sustained momentum during a quiet opening 45 minutes. The home side produced the first major opening, with Ferdi Kadıoğlu forcing Mike Maignan into an alert save in the 28th minute.
France, under Zidane for the first time, took time to find attacking fluency but finished the half with more purpose.
France grow into the contest
- Rayan Cherki found space inside the Turkish penalty area in the 41st minute, but a final defender prevented the chance from developing.
- Michael Olise tested Turkey goalkeeper Uğurcan Çakır two minutes later with a curling left-footed effort.
- Maignan’s intervention against Kadıoğlu remained the most significant save of the first half.
No breakthrough before the interval
Neither side found the decisive touch before half-time, leaving the Nations League opener finely balanced at the break. Turkey had shown their threat through Kadıoğlu, while France ended the period on the front foot through Cherki and Olise.
