CORNERFLICK
The second round of the 2026–27 UEFA Nations League continued on Monday night, with France edging past Belgium thanks to a late Michael Olise goal, while Italy produced an impressive display to put four past Türkiye in the standout League A fixtures. The results have made the battle in Group A1 even more intriguing after two matchdays.
Belgium 0–1 France: Olise Magic in the 88th Minute
In Brussels, Belgium and France played out a closely contested, action-packed encounter that remained goalless until the closing stages. France, who entered this Nations League campaign under Zinedine Zidane, could have taken the lead through Désiré Doué in the first half, but his effort struck the post. Lucas Da Cunha also hit the woodwork in the second half. At the other end, Dodi Lukebakio was one of Belgium’s most dangerous attacking threats.
The deadlock was finally broken in the 88th minute, when Michael Olise picked up the ball around the halfway line, embarked on a brilliant solo run, weaved his way past the Belgian defenders and finished clinically to score France’s winner. The goal secured three valuable points for Les Bleus and gave them a second consecutive victory following their 1–0 win over Türkiye on the opening matchday.
The result maintained France’s perfect start to the campaign, while Belgium suffered their first defeat after opening their Nations League campaign with a 2–0 victory over Italy.
Türkiye 1–4 Italy: A Resounding Response from the Azzurri
In the other major Group A1 fixture, Italy defeated Türkiye 4–1, responding emphatically to their opening-match defeat against Belgium. Roberto Mancini’s side made their intentions clear from the opening minutes, and Alessandro Bastoni’s early goal shifted the momentum firmly in the Azzurri’s favour.
Unlike in their opening fixture, Italy played with greater pace and variety in attack and prevented Türkiye from taking control after conceding the early goal. Scoring four times away from home delivered not only three important points but also a significant psychological boost for a side that had begun the competition with a 2–0 home defeat to Belgium.
Monday night’s results showed that the battle in UEFA Nations League Group A1 is already entering an important phase. France are in a strong position after recording back-to-back victories, while Italy have put themselves firmly back in contention with their emphatic win over Türkiye. Belgium, despite suffering a late defeat against France, still have three points from their opening two matches, setting the stage for an increasingly competitive and unpredictable group.