The striker Randal Kolo Muani netted twice as France moved closer to the Nations League quarter-finals by defeating Belgium 2-1 in a Group 2 League A match in Brussels on Monday.
Kolo Muani scored the first goal from a penalty kick following a handball by Wout Faes, but Lois Openda levelled the score just before halftime after Belgium captain Youri Tielemans had previously failed to convert a penalty kick.
Kolo Muani Seals the Victory
Kolo Muani scored a second goal just after the 60-minute mark, and despite losing midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni to a second yellow card with 14 minutes left, France managed to secure the victory.
Italy heads the group with 10 points from their four games, followed by France with nine. Belgium has four points and Israel has zero. The top two teams will play in the quarter-finals scheduled for March next year.
Belgium Struggles and Missed Chances
Belgium had been aiming to break a 43-year drought for a competitive win against France and had generated sufficient opportunities to deserve a better outcome from the match. They scored inefficiently, a common problem for the team.
Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku were absent as they requested to be excused from duty. France was also without Kylian Mbappe, who made himself unavailable for selection in this international window.
Tielemans Missed Penalty
Openda earned a penalty after he sprinted past the defenders, and his skilful change of direction led to a foul in the penalty area by a sliding William Saliba. However, Tielemans missed his penalty kick, sending the ball over the crossbar.
France Penalty and Kolo Muani First Goal
France was later awarded a penalty when Faes used his arm to knock the ball while falling in the box. This time, Kolo Muani easily converted the penalty.
Openda converted Belgium’s late first-half pressure into a goal by directing Timothy Castagne’s cross into the net with a well-timed header, capitalising on a well-executed play.
Missed Opportunities for France
Ousmane Dembele attempted a shot from the edge of the box, but it went wide. Manu Kone scored, but the referee disallowed the goal due to a Kolo Muani handball in the build-up.
Kolo Muani Decisive Second Goal
France regained the lead in the 62nd minute as Kolo Muani scored with a header from Lucas Digne’s left-sided cross. However, Belgium goalkeeper Koen Casteels might think that he could have saved the shot.
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