France 4-1 Belgium: Subs Doue, Cherki and Olise score late goals in dramatic comeback

Scored four goals to stun Belgium in a 4-1 victory at the Stade de France in the French Nations League.

Dodi Lukebakio headed home in the first half to give Belgium the lead and the visitors controlled most of the game, but goals from substitutes Desiree Doue and Ryan Cherki completed a dramatic turnaround as Michael Olise scored twice to win Group A4.

France finished the international circuit unbeaten with 3 wins and a draw to top the group, while Belgium dropped to third after their second defeat to France in a week.

Belgium makes its mark

France started brightly at the Stade de France, with Ousmane Dembele and Bradley Barcola causing problems on the flanks as Les Bleus pushed for an early opener.

Barcola had the best chance when he scored, but his attempted lob was comfortably saved by Maarten Vandevoordt.

Belgium eased into the game, Romelu Lukaku testing French keeper Restes and Nicolas Raskin getting away from a dangerous Dodi Lukebakio pass.

Lukebakio then stunned the hosts in the 35th minute, racing onto a superb pass from Lavia before slotting past Restes to put Belgium 1-0 up.

France equalized before the break but Belgium defended resolutely as the visitors went into the break with a deserved lead.

France’s late comeback stuns Belgium

Dembele came agonizingly close early in the second half after Manu Kone’s first-time effort was blocked and his effort hit the post.

Vandevoordt made a great save to deny Dembele after the Paris Saint-Germain forward worked his magic, touching in and out before feeding the ball to Esteban Lepaul, who was unable to beat the Belgian stopper.

Introductions from Cherki and Olise fueled France’s attack, with the former putting it away at full stretch with a sensational shot that saved better than Vandevoordt.

Olise then maneuvered a chance for Barcola, but the Liverpool winger’s shot hit the post again as the final 15 minutes approached.

Barcola was replaced by PSG team-mate Doue, and within minutes the substitute fired a sensational effort into the back of the net from 25 yards to put France level with just over 10 minutes to go.

And just four minutes later, France took a sensational lead with Cherky turning home Olise’s cross for a huge goal in the race to win Group A4.

When the third substitute came on, the three points were completed when Doue’s cross was latched onto before Olise slotted home.

It was another combination of Doue and Olise for the fourth as France ran away with the result, leaving a hapless Vandevoordt behind to secure a decisive victory.

The State of the League of Nations