Olise snatches France win in Brussels as Italy demolish Turkey 4-1 under Mancini

Michael Olise came off the bench to score two minutes from time and hand France a 1-0 Nations League win over Belgium in Brussels on Thursday, while Italy produced a dominant 4-1 away victory over Turkey in Bursa to revive their Group A1 campaign under Roberto Mancini.

Olise’s winner capped a surging run from deep inside the Belgian half, finishing clinically to extend coach Zinedine Zidane’s perfect start to his tenure. France were without captain Kylian Mbappe, and Zidane had made nine changes from the side that edged Turkey 1-0 the previous week. It was only after introducing Ousmane Dembele, Rayan Cherki and Olise that the visitors found their cutting edge. Desire Doue had been a persistent threat throughout, twice striking the woodwork, but Belgium were ultimately punished for the chances they failed to convert.

Italy’s evening in Bursa told a very different story from their 2-0 home defeat to Belgium on the opening matchday. Alessandro Bastoni headed them in front from a corner in the ninth minute, and Davide Frattesi doubled the lead 13 minutes later after debutant Michael Kayode’s shot was parried into his path. Kayode, on loan at Brentford, then slotted home a third in the 27th minute as Italy produced 10 attempts in a dominant first half.

Baris Alper Yilmaz pulled one back for Turkey after the break, but Pio Esposito restored the three-goal cushion with a header in the 50th minute to seal a comprehensive win that signals a sharp improvement in form for Mancini’s side.

Elsewhere in the Nations League, Bosnia registered a 4-2 win away to Romania in Bucharest, dealing another blow to Gheorghe Hagi’s return as manager. Sweden lead Group B4 with a second successive home victory, beating Poland 3-1 in Stockholm to sit two points above Bosnia.

Both Group B2 fixtures ended goalless, with Ukraine held in Georgia and Northern Ireland drawing at home to Hungary. That point leaves Michael O’Neill’s side level on four points with Ukraine. In Group C2, Montenegro moved three points clear at the top after Aleksa Latkovic’s last-minute goal secured a 3-2 win in Armenia, while Latvia and Cyprus shared a 0-0 draw in Riga.