Zinédine Zidane’s France delivered an attacking masterclass against Belgium (4-1). Beyond the scoreline, one statistic perfectly sums up Les Bleus’ dominance: they recorded 76 touches inside the opposition penalty area, their highest total in a single match since Opta began analysing France games over the past 20 years.
“I know how to win,” Zinédine Zidane told stunned journalists last July. Three months later, he is proving his point: he knows how to win by attacking. France had never occupied the opposition box so much. Against Belgium at the Stade de France on Monday night, Les Bleus created chance after chance before eventually blowing their opponents away late in the game. According to Opta Jean, France had 76 touches in the Belgian penalty area, a 20-year record. The other numbers underline their dominance: 23 shots to Belgium’s five, 66% possession and an expected goals advantage of 2.00 to 0.59.
76 Touches in the Belgian Box: A New France Record
The statistic is even more impressive considering Belgium managed just eight touches inside the French penalty area throughout the entire match. The difference between the two teams in the final third was enormous. Yet France trailed for a long period after Dodi Lukébakio opened the scoring in the 35th minute. Their pressure eventually paid off after the break, particularly in the final quarter of an hour. Désiré Doué equalised in the 77th minute before Rayan Cherki put France ahead four minutes later, with Michael Olise then scoring twice to complete the 4-1 victory.
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Since Zidane’s arrival, France have looked to play more attacking football and establish themselves higher up the pitch for sustained periods. The Belgium game is so far the most spectacular statistical illustration of that approach. Across this Nations League campaign, France are also the team with the most touches inside the opposition penalty area, recording 192 after four matchdays.
With Doué, Cherki, Olise, Dembélé, Barcola and Akliouche among his attacking options, Zidane has an exceptional pool of talent at his disposal. Against Belgium, the numbers confirmed France’s new attacking direction: rarely in the past two decades have Les Bleus played with such an aggressive, forward-thinking approach.
