Michael olise hat-trick fires France to victory over northern ireland in final world cup warm-up
France completed their World Cup preparations with a convincing 3-1 victory over Northern Ireland at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy in Lille on Monday. The win, powered by a Michael Olise hat-trick, provided the perfect response to Thursday’s surprise defeat against Côte d’Ivoire.
Olise opened the scoring shortly before half-time (43rd minute) when he pounced on a rebound after a Northern Ireland defender blocked a shot. He doubled the lead just after the break (49th minute) from another close-range finish. The Crystal Palace winger completed his treble in the 75th minute with his trademark curling effort into the top corner after cutting inside from the right flank.
Northern Ireland, ranked 70th in the world, pulled one back through Patrick John Kelly on the hour (64th minute), but France never looked troubled.
- Olise shines: The 22-year-old was the star of the night. His three goals showcased his instinctive finishing and technical quality.
- PSG contingent impress: Ousmane Dembélé and Désiré Doué both started after missing the Côte d’Ivoire match due to their late arrival following PSG’s second consecutive Champions League triumph. Doué looked lively, while Bradley Barcola came on after the hour. William Saliba, managing chronic back pain, played the entire first half without issue.
- Deschamps’ French farewell: Didier Deschamps took charge of his final match on home soil after 14 years as head coach. He will leave his role after the World Cup. The Stade Pierre-Mauroy crowd chanted his name in the 7th minute, his playing number for France. His overall record now stands at 91 matches, with 63 wins, 14 draws and 14 defeats – a 69% win rate.
