Michael Olise settled France’s 1-0 Nations League win in Belgium with an 88th-minute goal, turning Zinedine Zidane’s touchline sprint into the defining image of the night in Brussels.
Olise changes the match
- France struggled to break down Belgium at the Roi Baudouin Stadium and came under pressure late in the match.
- Zidane sent on Olise in the 77th minute.
- Eleven minutes later, Olise beat his marker with a dribble and finished the decisive move.
- Zidane had begun running down the technical area as Olise accelerated. After the goal, France’s coach struck a spare ball in celebration.
Zidane said he expected the finish as soon as he saw Olise escape his opponent. “I followed him when he started his run. I was completely with him,” he said afterwards, smiling as he watched footage of his celebration alongside former France teammate Bixente Lizarazu.
The 1998 World Cup winner then returned to a more measured assessment. France had been strong in every department, he said, and had shown courage against a Belgium side that made the game difficult.
France top Group A1
The away result followed another 1-0 victory in Turkey, leaving France first in Nations League Group A1.
Italy are next at the Stade de France. The Italians responded to their opening defeat against Belgium by winning 4-1 in Turkey.
Zidane wants recovery before that fixture. France have travelled heavily and had little time either to train or rest, he said.
