France beat Belgium 2-0 with Mbappe on rest, Haaland stars in Norway win

Even after leaving star forward Kylian Mbapp on the bench, France handed Belgium yet another loss in the Nations League.

Two of Mbapp's former teammates at Paris Saint-Germain, Randal Kolo Muani and Ousmane Dembl, struck with powerful shots either side of halftime in a 2-0 win in Lyon on Monday.

The latest win helped France make up ground in the top-tier Nations League group after losing to Italy 3-1 in Paris on Friday. Italy beat Israel 2-1 on Monday and leads the four-team group.

Also, Erling Haaland scored a decisive 80th-minute goal in Norway's 2-1 win over Austria and Slovenia star Benjamin eko scored a hat trick in a 3-0 win over Kazakhstan. Haaland and eko once were clubmates in Austria at Salzburg.

Mbapp was rested from the start despite France seeking to avoid a third straight loss, two months after a European Championship semifinals exit against eventual title winner Spain.

Real Madrid's new star had little preseason preparation after Euro 2024 and played a full game aga