Late Olise double caps France's 4-1 comeback over Belgium; Italy beat Türkiye 3-1 in Nations League

France turned a frustrating night at the Stade de France into a rout on Monday, scoring four goals in the final quarter of an hour to beat Belgium 4-1 in the UEFA Nations League. In Bologna, Italy came from 1-1 to beat Türkiye 3-1, meaning both Zinedine Zidane and Roberto Mancini recorded their first home wins in charge.

Both League A Group A1 matches kicked off at 8.45pm Central European time on 5 October, which was 2.45am on Tuesday in Malaysia.

Belgium lead, then France's bench takes over

For more than an hour, Belgium looked set for a famous win in Saint-Denis. France had most of the ball but struggled to break down a well-organised defence, and Belgium went ahead in the first half when Dodi Lukébakio finished after a pass from Romeo Lavia.

The match changed after Zidane turned to his substitutes. Désiré Doué levelled in the 77th minute with a powerful strike from around 25 yards, and Rayan Cherki put France in front a few minutes later. Michael Olise, also on from the bench, then scored twice in the closing minutes, the last of them after a combination with Doué.

Olise admitted the first half had been difficult against a deep Belgian defence, but said the team kept pushing until the breakthrough came. The result was Belgium's second defeat to France in a matter of days and keeps Les Bleus unbeaten in the group.

Esposito joins exclusive company as Italy beat Türkiye

Italy also needed a response after conceding. Gianluca Scamacca opened the scoring in the 26th minute, but Aral Şimşir equalised for Türkiye just after the hour.

The lead was restored three minutes later through defender Riccardo Calafiori, and teenage striker Pio Esposito sealed it in stoppage time. That goal was Esposito's seventh for Italy, making him only the second Italian to reach seven international goals before turning 21.

It was a welcome night for Mancini, who had yet to win a home match since returning to the Italy job.

Where Group A1 stands

After four rounds, France lead the group, three points ahead of Italy and four ahead of Belgium. Türkiye are still without a point and now face a fight to stay in League A. The league phase continues with matchdays five and six from 12 to 17 November, when the top two in each League A group will be chasing quarter-final places.

Elsewhere on Monday

There were also wins for Hungary, who beat Ukraine 2-1 with a late goal, Bosnia and Herzegovina, who edged Poland 1-0, and Sweden, who won 1-0 in Romania. Northern Ireland and Georgia drew 0-0. In Sunday's action, Portugal became the first team to secure a quarter-final spot by beating Norway 2-1.

Key takeaways

• France beat Belgium 4-1 after trailing until the 77th minute, with substitutes scoring all four goals.
• Michael Olise scored twice late on; Désiré Doué and Rayan Cherki also netted.
• Italy beat Türkiye 3-1 through Scamacca, Calafiori and Esposito.
• Pio Esposito became only the second Italy player to score seven international goals before 21.
• France top Group A1, three points clear of Italy; Türkiye have no points.

FAQ

What was the score in France vs Belgium? France won 4-1 at the Stade de France on 5 October 2026, after Dodi Lukébakio had given Belgium a first-half lead.

Who coaches France and Italy? Zinedine Zidane coaches France and Roberto Mancini coaches Italy; both earned their first home wins in charge on Monday.

When are the next Nations League matches for these teams? Matchdays five and six take place between 12 and 17 November 2026.

Sources: UEFA, Associated Press (via Japan Today), 101 Great Goals, VAVEL, ESPN