Kolo Muani, Dembele Lead France Past Belgium in Nations League

Randal Kolo Muani and Ousmane Dembele scored to secure a 2-0 victory for France over Belgium in the UEFA Nations League on Monday. The win followed a 3-1 home defeat to Italy over the weekend.

The French squad, featuring several changes, was without captain Kylian Mbappe, who was one of eight players rotated by coach Didier Deschamps. France had suffered a 3-1 loss to Italy in Paris on Friday, despite an early lead. Belgium, on the other hand, had recently secured a 3-1 win against Israel.

This match echoed the Euro 2024 Round of 16 clash, where France edged out Belgium 1-0 in Dusseldorf due to a late own goal.

In Lyon, France took the lead just before the half-hour mark. Kolo Muani capitalized on a mishit shot by Dembele, which Belgian goalkeeper Koen Casteels had initially parried. Belgium, led by captain Kevin De Bruyne, failed to equalize. Dembele then doubled France's advantage with a goal on 57 minutes, cutting inside from the right wing and scoring with a powerful left-footed shot.

In the second half, France made substitutions including Mbappe, Antoine Griezmann, and Michael Olise. The victory will provide a confidence boost for the French team following their recent loss to Italy.

Italy leads Group A2 with a perfect six points from two matches after defeating Israel 2-1 on Monday. France and Belgium are tied with three points each, while Israel remains at the bottom without any points.

Upcoming fixtures in October include Italy vs. Belgium in Rome and Israel vs. France in Budapest.