The Hard Tackle lists three players who can enable Belgium to come out on top in the game vs France at the King Baudouin Stadium on Monday.
The first international break of the 2026/27 is set for another high-stakes chapter as Belgium host France in a highly anticipated UEFA Nations League Group A1 encounter at the King Baudouin Stadium on Monday. Both teams enter this fixture following impressive opening-match victories under their newly appointed elite managers.
Belgium, led by Mark van Bommel, comfortably dismantled Italy 2-0 at Stadio Olimpico, while Zinedine Zidane’s debut as Les Bleus’ head coach yielded a disciplined 1-0 triumph away against Turkiye. While both nations launched their campaigns with the maximum haul, historical weight vastly heavily heavily heavily favours the visitors.
France have completely dominated the recent narrative, as they are on a five-match winning run against the Red Devils across major international competitions, including a narrow 2-1 Nations League win in Brussels in late 2024. Van Bommel’s rejuvenated team will thus face the ultimate tactical test of ending this hex on home soil.
A massive equaliser for Belgium ahead of this clash is the confirmed absence of French talisman and captain Kylian Mbappe, who suffered a knee injury after netting the winner against Turkiye. This requires Zidane to reconstruct his forward line, shifting responsibility to Ousmane Dembele, Bradley Barcola, and Michael Olise. To counteract this altered threat, the home side must rely on specific statistical pillars within their tactical architecture.
Kevin De Bruyne
The legendary playmaker remains the indisputable technical heartbeat of the national side. Kevin De Bruyne’s vision and precision in transition will be vital in cracking open France’s formidable defensive block steered by Dayot Upamecano and Maxence Lacroix. He proved his class yet again during Matchday 1, securing a vintage man-of-the-match performance by beautifully unlocking Italy’s defence.
- Catalytic Creative Form: De Bruyne is averaging 2.4 key passes per 90 minutes in Serie A this season, and he created as many as five chances against Italy on Matchday 1.
- Italy Masterclass Breakdown: In the 2-0 away victory against Italy, he recorded a staggering 94% pass completion rate and produced 5 shot-creating actions, including two big chances created in only 58 minutes.
- Neutralising the French Midfield: His spatial awareness allows him to drift into half-spaces, directly bypassing France’s aggressive defensive pivots, Manu Kone and Adrien Rabiot.
Youri Tielemans
Belgium’s head coach Mark van Bommel must pivot his tactical approach toward a possession-oriented philosophy vs France. Winning the midfield battle will be the definitive first step toward stopping France in their tracks, and Youri Tielemans provides the exact metronomic recycling required to wrest control away from Les Bleus’ dynamic central engine.
- Elite Premier League Retention: For Manchester United this season, Tielemans ranks in the 84th percentile for progressive passes (7.2 per 90) and boasts a 90% pass completion rate in the Premier League.
- Midfield Duels & Stability: While not as physically imposing as the stricken Amadou Onana, Tielemans has evolved his defensive intelligence, averaging 2.8 interceptions and tackles won per 90 minutes in the Premier League and winning 61% of his central ground duels this season.
- International Pedigree: In his recent appearances for Belgium, the skipper has acted as the crucial connective tissue between the backline and Kevin De Bruyne, ensuring the Red Devils can absorb pressure and maintain a high line of possession.
Maxim De Cuyper
Brighton & Hove Albion’s brilliant wide player steps into the spotlight as a key cog for Belgium. In this specific tactical setup, stopping the mercurial Michael Olise will be the absolute key to restricting France’s chance creation. With De Cuyper as the left-back, Belgium can secure the defensive and transition edge in one of the game’s most critical individual match-ups.
- Shutting Down Olise: Olise operates heavily in the inside-right channel, but De Cuyper’s underlying defensive numbers are stellar, averaging 2 successful tackles and interceptions per 90 minutes and 3.6 recoveries per game in the Premier League this season.
- Progressive Out-Ball: De Cuyper is among the elite wide players in Europe this season, having created 3 big chances in the Premier League while making 2.4 key passes per 90 minutes, meaning that once he breaks up Michael Olise’s rhythm, he can immediately launch Belgium into the final third.
- H2H Resilience: De Cuyper has demonstrated elite spatial awareness against high-pressing inverted wingers when playing as a left-back, maintaining an 84% defensive duel success rate in his last four high-profile international outings.
If Mark van Bommel can successfully synchronise the creative mastery of Kevin De Bruyne, the possession control of Youri Tielemans, and the tactical discipline of Maxim De Cuyper to nullify Michael Olise, the Red Devils have every statistical tool required to finally break their French curse in front of a rocking Brussels crowd.