Zinedine Zidane proves France have strength in depth with nine changes against Belgium

France’s remarkable depth was on full display as Zinedine Zidane’s much-changed side edged Belgium 1-0 in Brussels, underlining the wealth of options available to the new coach.

With four Nations League matches packed into 10 days and captain Kylian Mbappe sidelined through injury, Zidane made nine changes to the team that defeated Turkey 1-0 last Friday.

The wholesale alterations did little to diminish France’s performance.

The visitors controlled large periods of the contest, matched Belgium physically and remained composed despite facing a strong home side. They eventually secured victory through Michael Olise’s late individual effort after Zidane introduced Rayan Cherki, Ousmane Dembele and Olise to add greater attacking threat.

The result gave Zidane plenty to celebrate, particularly the contribution of players with limited international experience.

“It’s true that we saw two different teams. I felt my team was capable of putting in this kind of performance, whether in Turkey or tonight,” Zidane said afterwards.

Three players earned their first France caps, with Lucas Da Cunha, Andy Diouf and Jeremy Jacquet all handed opportunities in the starting line-up. Esteban Lepaul also made his first start for the national team.

Da Cunha responds to Zidane’s trust

Da Cunha was particularly impressive after Zidane instructed him to play without fear.

The midfielder responded by producing a confident performance under pressure, completing 97 touches and showing composure throughout his debut.

His display reflected the trust placed in him by Zidane, who wanted the newcomer to reproduce the freedom he enjoys at club level.

“The coach gave me his full confidence and told me to do what I do at club level, to express myself,” Da Cunha said. “It’s a great emotion, a great joy. A few years ago, I was in the second division; it shows that when you work hard, you can make it.”

Diouf, meanwhile, was asked to operate outside his usual position at left-back but handled the responsibility effectively.

Jacquet was equally assured in central defence, helping France keep Belgium at bay and earning strong reviews from the French media for his composed performance.

The defender, however, is keeping his feet on the ground despite his impressive introduction to international football.

“Establish myself? I’m not thinking about that yet. I’m taking my time and not putting pressure on myself,” Jacquet told reporters.

Zidane celebrates late winner

The victory also produced one of Zidane’s most animated moments since taking charge of France.

When Olise struck in the 88th minute, the coach raced down the touchline in celebration before hoofing a stray ball towards the crowd.

Zidane was all smiles after the final whistle and praised his players for their work both with and without possession.

“I’m very satisfied with what the team did, and not just with the ball. Following on from the match in Turkey, on a much better pitch, we were very good in every area, in our pressing,” he said.

The French coach also acknowledged Belgium’s threat and the difficult moments his side encountered after the interval.

“We had put certain things in place against a good Belgium team that also made us suffer, but we held firm, we were courageous, and we weren’t afraid to go into the opposition’s half. That’s what I like, that’s what we want.

“We perhaps dropped off a little in the second half, when we had a few difficulties, but that’s logical. We made nine changes, but the great thing is that everyone is involved.”

Italy await at Stade de France

France will now turn their attention to Italy, with the two sides scheduled to meet at the Stade de France on Friday.

The fixture will mark Zidane’s first home match since becoming France coach and provide another opportunity for him to assess his squad.

However, the demanding schedule has left little time for preparation, with the French players having endured extensive travelling and limited recovery time.

“Am I looking forward to the match? Yes. I’m not going to tell you we can’t wait because the players now need to rest. We haven’t had much rest, there’s been a lot of travelling and few training sessions, but we’ll have a little more time for that now,” Zidane said.

“But yes, we’ll be happy to get to Friday, to the Stade de France, with our fans. And above all, with those six points. But it will be a different match.”