France and Germany relied on substitute forwards to secure wins over their fierce rivals in the Nations League on Monday.
With Kylian Mbappé once again missing, Randal Kolo Muani started as the forward for France and scored once in each half, leading to a 2-1 victory against Belgium.
The Belgian team must be tired of seeing Kolo Muani, who also scored in a 2-0 win against them in Lyon last month. Additionally, his shot deflected into the net when France defeated Belgium 1-0 in the last 16 of the European Championship this summer.
In his debut for Germany, Jamie Leweling had a goal in the second minute that was disallowed after a video review but found success with a powerful shot in the 64th minute, securing a 1-0 win against the Netherlands in Munich.
Leweling, a forward for Stuttgart, was one of four players making their first starts for Germany on a night when fans honored four players—Toni Kroos, Manuel Neuer, Thomas Muller, and Ilkay Gundogan—who recently retired from national team play. Neuer, Muller, and Gundogan were present at the Allianz Arena to receive cheers from the German fans.
Italy also had a victory, defeating Israel 4-1, and Hungary won 2-0 against Bosnia in the top-tier League A.
With two group matches left in November, France, Italy, and Germany are all close to finishing in the top two and earning spots in the quarterfinals.
