Nations League: Michael Olise's late goal helps France beat Belgium
What's the story
Michael Olise scored a stunning goal to secure a hard-fought 1-0 victory for France over Belgium in their UEFA Nations League clash on Monday. The match, held in Brussels, saw Zinedine Zidane's men dominate before sealing a late win. Despite the lack of goals, it was an entertaining encounter with plenty of action on both ends. Here are further details.
Match highlights
Olise's sensational strike seals win for France
Olise, who was on the pitch for just 12 minutes, scored a sensational goal after embarking on a solo run from his own half.
He beat four Belgian defenders before firing a shot into the net's bottom left corner.
The goal came as France's dominance was evident early on when Desire Doue hit the crossbar and Esteban Lepaul missed an open chance.
Game dynamics
Belgium escape unscathed before France strike
Despite a counter-attack from Belgium that nearly resulted in a goal, the French defense held strong.
Kevin De Bruyne's dangerous cutback went across the area without any Belgian player capitalizing on it. De Bruyne also tried his luck from the halfway line but failed to find the target.
The match was heading toward a goalless draw until Olise intervened with his spectacular strike in the 88th minute.
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A look at key stats
France showed their dominance, holding 63% possession in the match. They struck 16 times with 9 shots on target. Their pass accuracy was 94%. Meanwhile, Belgium had 12 fouls and 3 yellow cards.
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France top Nations League Group A
The win puts France atop the Nations League Group A with six points, ahead of their upcoming clash against Italy at Stade de France on Friday. Meanwhile, Belgium will host Turkey in Liege as they look to bounce back from this defeat.