France came from a goal down to defeat Belgium 4-1 in a dramatic Nations League encounter, with their substitutes producing a decisive impact in the closing stages.
Belgium stunned the home crowd in the 35th minute when Dodi Lukébakio finished off a quick attacking move to give the visitors the advantage.
France struggled to turn their possession into goals during the opening half. Ousmane Dembélé, Maghnes Akliouche, Eduardo Camavinga and Esteban Lepaul all had opportunities but could not find the breakthrough.
The pattern continued after the interval, with France creating chances without getting the desired result. Lepaul was denied from close range as Belgium continued to protect their lead.
Zinedine Zidane eventually made changes from the bench, bringing on Rayan Cherki and Michael Olise before later introducing Désiré Doué.
The changes immediately gave France more attacking threat.
Doué levelled the contest in the 77th minute after creating space around the edge of the penalty area before sending a well-placed shot into the bottom corner.
France then moved in front just four minutes later. Olise reached the byline and picked out Cherki, who made no mistake with the finish.
Olise added another in the 88th minute when he met a pass from Doué and turned it into the net.
The French side were not finished. In stoppage time, Doué again provided the opening for Olise, who completed the rout with his second goal of the night.
Zidane’s substitutes make the difference
France had controlled much of the second half but initially struggled to find a way through Belgium’s defence.
That changed once Zidane’s substitutes began to influence the game. Doué, Cherki and Olise combined effectively and completely changed the direction of the match.
The three attackers were involved in several dangerous moves, with Olise finishing the game with four attempts on goal, second only to Dembélé’s five.
France also dominated the statistics, registering 23 shots and around 2.0 expected goals. Belgium managed only 0.59 expected goals across the match.
The visitors offered very little after the break, producing just 0.04 expected goals in the second half as France took control.
The victory means Zidane has now recorded three wins in his first four matches as France coach. Belgium, meanwhile, remain on six points from their four games.
