Super-sub Olise nets late winner for France against Belgium in Nations League

[p]There was a slight delay with both sets of players initially being kept in the tunnel, but the hosts came flying out once the action started, with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mechele-brandon/6k4GFuni/"]Brandon Mechele[/a] seeing a header blocked inside two minutes.[/p][p]France’s debutant midfielder [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/da-cunha-lucas/IXqHAIWJ/"]Lucas Da Cunha[/a] still helped his team gain greater control of proceedings, although the scoreline stayed level as Desire Doue smashed his shot against the crossbar, having elegantly danced his way into the Belgian box. The wideman then picked out [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lepaul-esteban/GGw2OEMr/"]Esteban Lepaul[/a], who was left frustrated on his first start as he shot straight at [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lammens-senne/UFssg7X4/"]Senne Lammens[/a].[/p][p]The [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/manchester-united/ppjDR086/"]Red Devils[/a] certainly continued to carry their own threat, with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/de-bruyne-kevin/MsPs6OI5/"]Kevin De Bruyne[/a] hitting an audacious effort from near the halfway line wide after [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/camavinga-eduardo/6ekYsPfO/"]Eduardo Camavinga[/a]’s strike at the other end had been blocked.[/p][image alt="Match stats" id="9b9df62e-0466-47cd-a4a2-d83f5d490974" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="d179315c-1640-4793-b660-28188080f2e2" original-width="2160" original-height="2700" /][p]The visitors came close to an opener just before the half-hour mark, when Lammens saved [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/akliouche-maghnes/0UP6MLGJ/"]Maghnes Akliouche[/a]’s free-kick and Lepaul’s follow-up before [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lavia-romeo/UepSPHBj/"]Romeo Lavia[/a] cleared [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kalulu-kyatengwa-piere/E5UKRKOH/"]Pierre Kalulu[/a]’s effort off the line.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/godts-mika/CIrbY1Ml/"]Mika Godts[/a] and De Bruyne then struck wide at the other end, as a first half that featured 14 shots ended goalless. [/p][p]There was just as much intent on display after the restart and France had the better of it, as Doue curled a shot agonisingly wide before Da Cunha came even closer with a superb strike from range that hit the post. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tielemans-youri/GtkTQyib/"]Youri Tielemans[/a] then blocked Akliouche’s attempt and Lepaul poked his rebound wide after yet another sweet Doue strike was saved.[/p][p]More mesmerising footwork from Doue ended in frustration as his deflected shot was held, and it was almost compounded moments later when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/moreira-diego/0QNoKs1B/"]Diego Moreira[/a] fired wide. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/maignan-mike/S6gN2QNC/"]Mike Maignan[/a] then had to stand firm to deny substitute [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lukebakio-dodi/08a9jhm9/"]Dodi Lukebakio[/a] after he had made a burst into France’s box and Tielemans smashed an ambitious shot off-target with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/belgium/GbB957na/"]Belgium[/a] pushing.[/p][image alt="Momentum" id="9bfaf59e-a453-4ae3-82c7-b34c45df6d30" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="1a2ddf67-58d3-45c1-80aa-4e50c0df088b" original-width="2160" original-height="2700" /][p]Lukebakio got into another promising position but was halted by Maignan again before [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lacroix-maxence/j5bGWFU7/"]Maxence Lacroix[/a] blocked [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/de-ketelaere-charles/2eOa3r1T/"]Charles De Ketelaere[/a]’s effort.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/olise-michael/E5pvwqkK/"]Olise[/a] was the man to decide it in the 88th minute, though, effortlessly gliding up the pitch before slotting his shot into the bottom corner to make France the standalone top team in Group A1 after two matches. [/b][/p][p]The result takes Les Bleus’ unbeaten streak away to six matches while ending Belgium’s six-match unbeaten run at home.[/p][p][b]Flashscore Man of the Match: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/doue-desire/KIUWH2Jq/"]Desire Doue[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/france/QkGeVG1n/"]France[/a])[/b][/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/belgium-GbB957na/france-QkGeVG1n/?mid=40zZ9MQ7"]Check out the match stats here[/a][/b].[/p]