PARIS : France came from behind to beat Belgium 4-1 in the Nations League on Monday as Zinedine Zidane secured his first home win as coach, while Italy extended their unbeaten run with a 3-1 victory over Turkey.
Belgium took the lead in the 35th minute when Dodi Lukebakio broke clear of France’s defence and beat debutant goalkeeper Guillaume Restes after latching on to a long pass from Romeo Lavia.
France dominated possession but struggled to break down Belgium’s defensive block, with the 2018 World Cup winners failing to score in the first half for an eighth consecutive match.
Zidane’s substitutes changed the game after the break. Michael Olise and Rayan Cherki came on in the 60th minute, with Desire Doue introduced 12 minutes later.
Doue levelled in the 77th minute with a left-footed shot from the edge of the box before Cherki put France ahead four minutes later, finishing an Olise cross.
Olise then completed the comeback with two close-range goals, one coming just before and the other during stoppage time.
“That’s football, that’s what we love. There were difficulties, but that’s part of the game, part of the kinds of matches you can have,” Zidane told TF1.
“It’s good to put things right, and that’s what we did with an extraordinary second half.”
Italy also beat Turkey 3-1, with Gianluca Scamacca and Riccardo Calafiori scoring for the hosts before Italy added a third goal.
Scamacca opened the scoring with a close-range volley that hit the crossbar before crossing the line. Turkey levelled through Aral Simsir after a flowing team move, but Calafiori restored Italy’s lead three minutes later with a header from a Nicolo Barella free kick.
Italy added another goal to secure their third consecutive match without defeat.
The results gave France a first home win under Zidane, while Italy continued their unbeaten run as both teams strengthened their positions in their respective Nations League campaigns.
