Michael Olise hat trick was the highlight of the victory as France dominated Northern Ireland 3-1 in their last warm-up game at Lille before the World Cup. The Bayern Munich attacker was impressive with tremendous finishing and attacking movement.
Olise was the savior of the team just before half-time when he was quick and found the box. Ousmane Dembélé came into his way, sending a deflected effort over the bar and he calmly made it from the close range to put the game on ice. That goal would take the lead for the French attack.
On the other side, Olise loathed the Northern Ireland defence with his pace and creativity, in the second half. His central play around the lines enabled France to set up goal threats and dictate the game. He was able to dribble in wide and central areas, while the opposition was unable to stop his movement.
It was also the final home game for Didier Deschamps as he held the helm for France. He received a positive send-off in front of the home fans, as the attacking combination of the team was great and had good depth in quality of the squad.
On the tactical side of things, France played the match to experiment with attacking setups before the World Cup. Olise’s game further bolstered his argument for being a viable rotation option in the wide, supporting the notion from his past that he was most effective in that role. Balance the team with his finishing and linking up skills.
Northern Ireland got one goal back but were generally outplayed by a French outfit which played at a very high tempo. France dominated the contest and found the time to make the most of possession to deny counter attacks.
This performance overall, showed France attacking talent in depth. Olise’s hat trick further adds to the competition for the positions in the forward line that already has a lot of competition in the tournament.
