Michael Olise hat-trick leads France past Northern Ireland in final World Cup warm-up
Michael Olise hat-trick leads France past Northern Ireland in final World Cup warm-up
With a hat-trick, Michael Olise gave France and Didier Deschamps a comfortable victory in the coach’s last match on home soil (3-1), Monday.
Key moments
The final rehearsal before departure was a success. France won their second and final pre-World Cup friendly against Northern Ireland (3-1) on Monday, June 8 at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy in Lille. A response was needed after Thursday’s defeat to Côte d’Ivoire (1-2), and the Blues largely reassured by dominating a limited opponent from start to finish, despite conceding a goal.
- Michael Olise shines. Facing the 70th-ranked nation, France had no choice but to win to erase the loss to the Elephants. Olise delivered, scoring from close range after blocked attempts just before and after halftime (43rd and 49th minutes), then curling his trademark strike into the top corner after cutting in from the right (75th). Patrick John Kelly’s equalizer (64th) was the only blemish of the evening.
- PSG players and Saliba find form. The Paris Saint-Germain contingent, fresh off their second European title, arrived later to the squad and were rested for the first friendly. On Monday, Ousmane Dembélé and Désiré Doué started, with the latter impressing, while Bradley Barcola came on at the hour. William Saliba, managing chronic back pain and also rested in the first match, played the entire first half without apparent issues.
- A fitting farewell for Didier Deschamps on French soil. After 14 years at the helm, Deschamps coached his last match on French territory before stepping down after the World Cup. His record with France after this victory: 91 matches, 63 wins, 14 draws, 14 defeats – a win rate of 69%. The Stade Pierre-Mauroy crowd chanted his name in the 7th minute, his former shirt number as a player.