Without Kylian Mbappé, is it really no problem for France? Perhaps not quite that straightforward. France began this match in disarray but managed to regain composure enough to maintain their dominance over a spirited Belgium. The debate over his absence will continue, as will broader concerns about player workload, casting a shadow over this Nations League encounter. More clinical opponents might have further dampened the mood. In the end, two goals from Randal Kolo Muani, including a penalty, bookended a response from Loïs Openda, securing another point that will propel France to the quarter-finals. Belgium's 43-year drought without a competitive win against their neighbors continues, but they contributed positively to a night that sparked much reflection on the significance of this fixture.
This should be one of European football's marquee clashes, but it felt diminished at the start. Mbappé's absence from this round of games, as he manages his post-injury workload, has caused significant unrest in France, where he is accused of selectively leading Les Bleus. However, he was not the only one missing; Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku were also excused duty for Belgium, with avoiding overexertion being the prevailing concern. The three biggest names involved in this match all decided that participating could be too costly.
It was grimly fitting that, just four miles away in a conference hall near Brussels's bureaucratic center, the afternoon was spent discussing legal action brought by Fifpro and European Leagues against Fifa's imposition of an excessively extended match calendar. Anyone immersed in those details only needed a 20-minute drive to witness the real-life consequences of football's subservience to commercial interests. Some of the more profit-driven stakeholders at the pinnacle of club football would argue that if curbing the schedule meant compromising their interests even slightly, international windows should bear the brunt. But rivalries like this are less problematic than poorly scheduled, far-flung Club World Cups of questionable purpose. It was encouraging to see both sides produce a spectacle that, despite the absence of star players, maintained attention with a consistent flow of chances and talking points.
The lack of Mbappé wasn't the only reason France looked unfamiliar. Since Euro 2024, they have bid farewell to Antoine Griezmann and Olivier Giroud, each irreplaceable in their own way, and for long periods, they appeared rudderless. This was particularly evident before half-time, when Belgium must have wondered how the game was still alive. De Bruyne had criticized his teammates' standards after a lackluster defeat in September's reverse fixture, when Belgium faltered in Lyon. They started this match determined to prove him wrong. Jérémy Doku quickly had Lucas Digne on the ropes, drawing an awkward challenge and a yellow card. With Youri Tielemans in control, an early breakthrough seemed inevitable.
Openda narrowly missed before Leandro Trossard, given free rein on the left flank, saw Mike Maignan parry a deflected shot. Belgium were relentless, their visitors sluggish; in the 20th minute, Tielemans played Openda through, and William Saliba, slipping as his opponent turned inside, brought him down inside the box. Saliba, rarely pushed to such desperation at Arsenal, thought he had been saved by an offside flag, but VAR correctly ruled it erroneous. Tielemans took the penalty but, to the horror of the crowd, sent it high.
Apart from a decent effort from Bradley Barcola, on whom much hope rests, Didier Deschamps's players had offered nothing by the half-hour mark. Then Barcola struck again, creating space and coaxing Wout Faes into a bizarre diving intervention. Faes had touched the ball with his hand; now France had their own penalty, and Kolo Muani showed Tielemans how it's done. The openings continued for Belgium, and it felt like Openda, initially subdued by the assistant referee, leveled in added time. He had timed his run perfectly to head in Timothy Castagne's cross, and it quickly became clear the latest offside call would be overturned. Belgium should have been ahead but at least they were level and had shown De Bruyne some aptitude.
They remained ambitious after the interval but found France a more coherent and, perhaps, willing opponent. The hitherto quiet Ousmane Dembélé weaved 60 yards before shooting wide; Manu Koné then celebrated after beating Koen Casteels, but Kolo Muani's handball curtailed his joy. A legitimate goal quickly followed. Digne had recovered well from his earlier ordeal by Doku and swung over a dipping cross that Kolo Muani, rising above a static Faes, flashed low to Casteels's left. Tielemans, Trossard, and Digne could all have scored in the ensuing 10 minutes. This was end-to-end excitement now, the final twist coming when Tielemans was brought down by Aurélien Tchouaméni. Mbappé's deputy as captain was booked for the second time and sent off; Maignan saved Trossard's free-kick, and despite Belgium's late pressure, they would feel the weight of their hex once again.
