France beat Belgium and Italy defeat Turkey in Nations League
- France secured a 1-0 victory over Belgium in the UEFA Nations League, while Italy rebounded from a previous loss with a dominant 4-1 win against Turkey.
- In a tightly contested match in Brussels, Michael Olise scored the decisive goal in the 88th minute to lead France past Belgium.
- The match remained scoreless for much of the duration, though both sides created notable opportunities.
France secured a 1-0 victory over Belgium in the UEFA Nations League, while Italy rebounded from a previous loss with a dominant 4-1 win against Turkey. These results keep League A, Group 1 competitive as teams jockey for position in the early stages of the tournament.
Olise strike secures late victory for France
In a tightly contested match in Brussels, Michael Olise scored the decisive goal in the 88th minute to lead France past Belgium. Olise, who entered the match as a substitute in the 77th minute under manager Zinédine Zidane, broke the deadlock after a sustained period of French pressure. The result marks a significant hurdle for Belgium, which has now failed to record a competitive victory against France since 1981.
The match remained scoreless for much of the duration, though both sides created notable opportunities. According to match reporting, Désiré Doué struck the woodwork in the 12th minute, and Lucas Da Cunha hit the post in the 54th minute. France currently sits on six points after two matches. Zidane opted to leave Ousmane Dembélé on the bench until the 68th minute, ultimately securing the win without Kylian Mbappé, who was sidelined due to injury.
Italy dominates Turkey in Bursa
Italy responded to a 2-0 defeat against Belgium with a comprehensive 4-1 victory over Turkey in Bursa. The match saw the Italian side dictate play early, with Alessandro Bastoni opening the scoring in the 9th minute. Davide Frattesi added a second in the 22nd minute, followed by a goal from Michael Kayode in the 27th minute to establish a commanding 3-0 lead by the half-hour mark.
While Baris Alper Yilmaz pulled one goal back for Turkey shortly after halftime, Italy restored its three-goal cushion when Pio Esposito headed in a rebound following a Sandro Tonali shot that struck the post. The match featured a rare occurrence for the Italian national team: brothers Sebastiano and Pio Esposito appeared on the pitch together. This marked the first time two brothers had played for Italy since Aldo and Luigi Cevenini in 1915, according to historical match records.
Coaching pressures and group standings
The defeat adds pressure to Turkish manager Vincenzo Montello. Following an early exit in the World Cup after two group-stage matches, the team has now recorded two losses in the Nations League. Italy’s performance comes under Roberto Mancini, who returned to the coaching position following the team’s failure to qualify for three successive World Cups.
Elsewhere in the competition, other nations continue their campaigns. Sweden defeated Romania 2-1, Montenegro secured a 2-1 win over Cyprus, and Ukraine earned a 1-0 victory against Hungary. Northern Ireland also claimed a 1-0 win over Georgia, with Shea Charles scoring a stoppage-time winner after teammate Pierce Charles saved a penalty from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Armenia defeated Latvia 2-0, while the fixture between Poland and Bosnia and Herzegovina ended in a 0-0 draw.