France imposes its game at Stade Roi Baudouin, under the Devils
Under the neon lights of the King Baudouin Stadium, French supporters fill the stands while the Red Devils, perplexed, watch the tricolour domination that sets in from the first minutes. The match, awaited for weeks, sees France return to its good old habits, imposing a fluid and controlled game against Belgium.
French victory at the King Baudouin Stadium
France rediscovered its good old habits by winning 0-1 at the King Baudouin Stadium.
In the stands as well as in the press room, the French presence was noticeable throughout the match.
The tricolour media quickly published excerpts of their comments the day after the match.
"There are worse ways to start than by perpetuating the joy of winning in Brussels just before turning off the lights, feeling at your neighbour's place as if it were your own," wrote the newspaper L'Équipe.
Zinedine Zidane had rested his senior players, making nine changes compared to Friday's match in Turkey.
French press praises the Blues' domination in Brussels
Several newcomers had never previously played with the Blues.
"A team of rookies that sometimes trampled Belgium, in an evening that will further help define the new era more than the success in Turkey three days earlier," commented their colleagues at L'Est Républicain.
"There was something delightful about seeing this cheekiness on the King Baudouin pitch while, on the opposite side, De Bruyne counted almost as many caps as the eleven French combined," added the same newspaper.
Tactical analysis and Belgian reactions
"At this level, the result is not always decided by merit but Zinedine Zidane's Blues were truly above their opponents for most of the match: ball possession, on‑target shots, chances, corners and duels won," highlighted L'Est Républicain.
Olise propels the Blues to victory over Belgium
"And the domination was not only statistical; it was also evident in how the Belgians stayed so low in their half to avoid giving space to the French attackers," the newspaper continued.
He added that Belgium, positioned in a midfield block or even low in a 4‑5‑1 during the recovery phase, lacked speed and ran into the robustness of the Blues.
When the Red Devils tried to restart the game, Mike Maignan was vigilant and decisive in cutting deep balls and countering Dodi Lukebakio.