Even after leaving star forward Kylian Mbappé on the bench, France handed Belgium yet another loss in the Nations League.
Two of Mbappé’s former teammates at Paris Saint-Germain, Randal Kolo Muani and Ousmane Dembélé, struck with powerful shots either side of halftime in a 2-0 win in Lyon on Monday.
The latest win helped France make up ground in the top-tier Nations League group after losing to Italy 3-1 in Paris on Friday. Italy beat Israel 2-1 on Monday and leads the four-team group.
Also, Erling Haaland scored a decisive 80th-minute goal in Norway’s 2-1 win over Austria and Slovenia star Benjamin Šeško scored a hat trick in a 3-0 win over Kazakhstan. Haaland and Šeško once were clubmates in Austria at Salzburg.
Mbappé was rested from the start despite France seeking to avoid a third straight loss, two months after a European Championship semifinals exit against eventual title winner Spain.
Real Madrid’s new star had little preseason preparation after Euro 2024 and played a full game against Italy. He was eased in against Belgium by coach Didier Deschamps, who sent on his captain in the 67th minute to replace Kolo Muani.