Lavia’s 85-Minute Belgium Bow Ends in Late France Defeat
Roméo Lavia made his first senior international start for Belgium against France on Monday 28 September, only for former Chelsea prospect Michael Olise to snatch a late winner for Les Bleus.
Lavia handed first Belgium start as Olise breaks hearts in Brussels
Chelsea teammates Lavia and Maxence Lacroix went head-to-head in UEFA Nations League action at Stade Roi Baudouin, and it was a landmark night for the Belgian. This was Lavia’s third senior international appearance overall but his first ever start, coming just days after his second cap.
He didn’t quite make it to the final whistle, withdrawn with five minutes of regulation left on the clock. It’s a small detail, but a promising one for a player whose Chelsea career to date has been shaped by fitness setbacks.
Belgium’s disappointment came late. Lacroix played the full 90 minutes for France, his ninth cap and third straight start, part of a run that has now delivered back-to-back clean sheets for Les Bleus during this international break. Olise’s intervention denied Belgium a result and lifted France to the top of the group.
Context matters here. Lavia previously had to wait over three years between his first and second senior caps for Belgium, so seeing him handed a start – and trusted for the vast majority of a demanding fixture against a side of France’s calibre – is a genuinely welcome development rather than a footnote. He’s been staying fitter in recent months, and that’s the thread worth pulling on.
Nobody at Stamford Bridge should get carried away and call this proof he’s cracked his injury problems. One start, even a near-90-minute one, doesn’t rewrite a fitness history. But it’s a data point in the right direction, and Chelsea will simply want the pattern to continue rather than reverse.
The primary takeaway is straightforward: Lavia started, he lasted 85 minutes, and Belgium lost. What matters next is whether he stays available, both for his country and for whoever is picking the Chelsea midfield when he’s back on club duty. Nothing beyond that is confirmed for now, and that uncertainty is exactly why this window is being watched so closely.
In other news…
Belgium’s international break has already thrown up other Chelsea-relevant news, including an injury update involving Mike Penders during the same fixture window.
