France and Germany both celebrated victories over their traditional rivals during the Nations League matchday on Monday, with their respective stand-in forwards playing pivotal roles.

In France’s encounter, Randal Kolo Muani, filling the void left by the absent Kylian Mbappé, delivered a stellar performance, scoring both goals in a 2-1 win against Belgium on their home ground.

The Belgian squad must find it increasingly frustrating to face Kolo Muani, who had already found the net in the previous fixture between these two teams, a 2-0 victory for France in Lyon just last month.

Kolo Muani’s impact extended beyond this game; his shot had even deflected into the goal during a nail-biting encounter in the last 16 of the European Championship against Belgium, which France won 1-0 last summer.

Germany also had a standout performance, with Jamie Leweling marking his debut in impressive fashion. Although his second-minute goal was disallowed after a video review, he redeemed himself with a powerful shot in the 64th minute to secure a 1-0 victory over the Netherlands in Munich.

Leweling, who plays as a forward for Stuttgart, was among the four players making their maiden starts for the German national team on a night dedicated to honoring veterans Toni Kroos, Manuel Neuer, Thomas Muller, and Ilkay Gundogan, who have recently stepped away from international football.

The atmosphere in Allianz Arena was electric as Neuer, Muller, and Gundogan were present to receive a warm farewell from the fans.

Aside from these matches, Italy also enjoyed success, defeating Israel 4-1, while Hungary managed a solid 2-0 victory against Bosnia.