In pain and with ten men, the Blues snatch victory in Belgium

How hard it was for the Blues! Four days after winning in Budapest (Hungary) against Israel (4-1), the players of the French team did it again this Monday, October 14 against Belgium, as part of the 4th day of the League of Nations. But in Brussels, it was far from a cakewalk for Didier Deschamps’ men… A month after their victory in the first leg in Lyon (2-0), they suffered pressure from the locals during the first twenty minutes. More aggressive, Arthur Theate’s partners quickly stood out, with a low shot from Youri Tielemans captured by Mike Maigan in the first minute of play. This same Tielemans was very close to switching to decisive passer mode afterwards, with a cross cut at the near post by Lois Openda. But the ex-Lensois’ recovery missed the French goal (13th).

A story of penalties

On the visitor’s side, only Bradley Barcola, with a header at the far post finishing in the Belgian net (17th), was able to send a slight shiver through the aisles of the King Baudouin stadium, close to igniting on a tumble from Leandro Trossard. But the Arsenal player, starting from midfield after stealing the ball from Ibrahima Konaté, saw his off-center strike repelled by Maignan (18th). Unable to hold the ball in midfield, the Blues, guilty of several ball losses and in great difficulty facing the liveliness of the Belgian attacking trio (Doku, Openda, Trossard), ended up being punished. Or almost. Starting behind the defense, Openda was caught then mowed down in the open area by William Saliba. After checking with VAR for a possible offside, the match referee awarded a penalty to the Red Devils. But Tielemans’ attempt, fortunately, flew into the clouds (23rd). A free warning for the vice-world champions, finally awake after around twenty apathetic and laborious minutes. Barcola, alone, notably pushed Casteels to relax with a curled shot (25th).

And after a new alert from Doku (a low strike from the edge of the area) after… yet another loss of the ball (30th), the Blues in turn obtained a penalty. Wout Faes, the former Reims defender, was guilty of an… elbow to stop Barcola in the area. Without trembling, Randal Kolo Muani converted the offering into force, taking Casteels on the wrong foot (34th, 0-1). His seventh goal in the French jersey. An opening score which gave Didier Deschamps’ band some breathing space… for a few minutes. In added time of this first act, a cross from Trossard found Openda behind Saliba’s back. The Leipzig player was quick to equalize with a header (45+3, 1-1) and logically put his team back up to the Blues in white in Brussels. So at the break, the walls of the French locker room shook strongly…

The Blues at ten and saved by Maignan

And the effect expected by the staff of Deschamps and Guy Stéphan, who celebrated his 200th appearance on the bench of the France team this evening, was almost immediate. Returning from the locker room, Ousmane Dembélé’s teammates presented a much better appearance and a promising start. Jules Koundé notably tried from afar (48th), before a supersonic counterattack from Dembélé. After rushing from his camp, fixing then bypassing the Belgian defense, the PSG winger attempted a curling shot, concluded just next to the opponent’s goal (52nd). Getting off to a good start, the Tricolores then thought of doubling the bet, but the achievement in two stages and from the flat foot of Manu Koné was logically refused for a control of the arm of Kolo Muani during the action of the goal (58th). Part postponed. After an action brought by Dembélé and relayed by Barcola for a shift on Digne, the left-back of Aston Villa took care of a perfect cross on the head of a Kolo Muani who was still decisive with a header (62nd, 1-2) . The sixth goal of the ex-Nantes player in the blue jersey in 2024, top French scorer of the year.

But Belgium, decidedly the French striker’s favorite prey (3 goals in 3 matches + decisive on the qualifying goal during the round of 16 of Euro 2024 this summer), has not given up. After a first heat on a distant and powerful strike from Debast pushed to the ground by Maignan (65th) then a too-cross shot from Trossard (71st), the Blues had the misfortune of losing their captain Aurélien Tchouaméni. The midfielder was guilty of tripping over Tielemans, left alone in the middle by the defense. The Belgian captain headed towards goal before being stopped irregularly by the Madrilenian (75th). In the process, Trossard’s floating free kick was returned by Maignan (77th), still decisive in the last seconds of the game to deflect a point-blank attempt with his foot. The last big alert of the game for the Blues, who won by a landslide in Brussels. A success which allows them to take an option for qualification for the quarter-finals of the League of Nations next March, in the company of Italy, winner at the same time of Israel (4-1). Note that Belgium, which lost big this Monday evening, became the first opponent in history beaten three times by France in one year… Next meeting in November for the selection: the reception of Israel (14 /11) and the trip to Italy (11/17).

The ranking after 4 days:

1. Italy – 10 pts
2. France – 9 pts
3. Belgium – 4 pt
4. Israel – 0 pt