France rebounded from their previous defeat with a convincing 2-0 victory over Belgium in the Nations League on September 9, 2024. Randal Kolo Muani opened the scoring in the 29th minute, followed by a spectacular goal from Ousmane Dembélé in the 57th minute. The win came as a relief for France, who had faced criticism after their loss to Italy.However, the match was not without controversy. French coach Didier Deschamps, who made eight changes to the starting lineup, faced criticism and was even booed by some fans at the Groupama Stadium. Deschamps responded to the situation, saying, ‘Personally, I knew I didn’t have unconditional supporters in Lyon…’.On the Belgian side, captain Kevin De Bruyne expressed frustration with his team’s performance, stating, ‘When we’re not good enough, we have to at least give everything, and I didn’t even see that. I can accept that we’re not as good as in 2018, but I can’t tolerate our way of playing tonight’. De Bruyne’s criticism extended to tactical issues, noting that the team often played with ‘six defenders,’ leading to a lack of connection between players.Meanwhile, Italy continued their strong start in the tournament, securing a 2-1 victory over Israel in Budapest. This win puts Italy at the top of Group A2 with six points from two games, while France and Belgium are tied for second with three points each. Italy’s coach Luciano Spalletti expressed satisfaction with the team’s performance, describing it as ‘splendid’ and ‘mature’.The results have reshaped the standings in Group A2 of the Nations League, with Italy leading, followed by France and Belgium, while Israel sits at the bottom with zero points.
Key points
- France defeated Belgium 2-0 in the Nations League, bouncing back from their previous loss.
- Belgian captain Kevin De Bruyne harshly criticized his team’s performance after the loss.
- French coach Didier Deschamps faced criticism and was booed by some fans.
- Italy leads Group A2 after defeating Israel 2-1, with France and Belgium tied for second.
Contradictions👾While some sources report that Deschamps was booed by fans, Deschamps himself claimed he didn’t hear any booing, stating he was in the locker room at the time.
