Zidane carries out an almost total overhaul and the Blues win 1-0 against Belgium thanks to Olise

Zinédine Zidane had announced "a few changes", but it was almost a total reshuffle that the coach finally carried out against Belgium, Monday September 28, three days after the narrow victory in Turkey. With four new players called up on the pitch at kick-off, in addition to the usual established substitutes, the Blues produced an encouraging performance, rewarded with a narrow victory (1-0), thanks to a goal from Michael Olise. But full of promise.

The nine changes made by Zinédine Zidane may have raised some questions when the composition of the teams was announced. Andy Diouf, Jérémy Jacquet and Lucas Da Cunha had their first selection, Esteban Lepaul his first start, and usual jokers like Maghnes Akliouche or Eduardo Camavinga were lined up from the start. Changes of players, but no precepts, with especially one of them dear to Zinédine Zidane: high pressing.

Doué and Da Cunha scored points

His men applied it particularly well, and stifled Belgium for most of the match. Very comfortable with the ball, they circulated it cleanly and created chances, without materializing. Untenable and omnipresent, Désiré Doué played the Belgian defense but found the crossbar (12th), and the following attempts, from Bradley Barcola (19th) and Esteban Lepaul (57th), landed in the gloves of Senne Lammens. The attempts increased again after returning from the locker room, with Désiré Doué, still him (51st and 56th), or even Lucas Da Cunha (53rd), who also found the post.

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After this high point, the pace dropped on the French side, and the Belgians, in a burst of pride, finally found their way back to the French camp. But it was ultimately almost against the flow of play, at that moment in the match, that Michael Olise, who entered a little earlier, rewarded the Blues for their overall domination (88th). Enough to exult Zinédine Zidane, frustrated until then, and who kicked a ball with joy. Four days before the reception of Italy, the coach was able to appreciate the application and talent of an entire group.