Zidane’s first international break ends unbeaten as France come from behind to beat Belgium 4-1

Trailing from Dodi Lukébakio’s 35th-minute opener, France waited until past the hour: Olise, Cherki and Da Cunha came on, Doué followed in the 72nd. Doué equalised in the 77th from Da Cunha’s pass, Cherki put France ahead four minutes later, Olise added two more in the 88th and in added time. Four goals in fourteen minutes from players off the bench: 4-1 at the Stade de France.

Run with the ball, not behind it

“The French, we prefer to run with the ball rather than behind it,” Zidane told franceinfo, naming PSG as his model, “a team that takes the game on, that goes to press very high… Those are my principles too.” The shape changed with him: three creative midfielders behind three attackers, against the two defensive midfielders Didier Deschamps used to field. “We try to be aggressive when we lose the ball, to press high… to be vertical when the chance is there,” Jules Koundé said. Once the ball is won high up, the attackers play with freedom.

No A team, no B team

All 20 outfield players in the squad started at least once. “There is no A team and no B team,” Zidane had warned before Italy. Olise, with four goals across the break, and Doué became the first substitutes involved in three goals in a France match since Marvin Martin against Ukraine in 2011: “Their entrance was extraordinary, and it proves that everyone is involved,” he said. Even the second goalkeeper started: Guillaume Restes played “to feel what the France team is”, while Mike Maignan kept the shirt for the first three matches, decisive in Turkey and Brussels.

The final third is the work still to do

Three of the four matches produced a single France goal: 1-0 in Turkey, 1-0 in Brussels, 1-1 against Italy. “Where we still need to work is on not having sterile possession… being more dangerous in the final 30-40 metres,” Zidane said, and after the 4-1 he asked his side to “occupy the box more”. The full-back project is open already: worried about the pool of options, he has approached the French technical direction led by Hubert Fournier and asked the France U21 and U20 coaches to try players in those positions (according to L’Équipe, via RMC Sport).

France end the break top of Group A on 10 points, and next face Italy away on 12 November, then Turkey in Bordeaux on the 15th. The 4-1 confirmed the market rather than surprising it: France went into the game at 1.57 with Betano (our match preview). The novelty for the months ahead sits on the bench: replacements who can settle a match.