What a performance by Michael Olise! The Bayern star led France to a 4-1 victory over Belgium in the Nations League with a spectacular substitute appearance. The 24-year-old needed just 30 minutes to make a decisive impact on the game with two goals and an assist.
National team coach Zinédine Zidane had initially given Olise a rest and benched the attacking player. After an hour, with the score at 0-1, he finally brought the FCB star into the game—a decision that would pay off for France.
Up to that point, the Équipe Tricolore had struggled immensely against the Belgians. Dodi Lukebakio even put the visitors ahead 1–0 in the 35th minute. After the break, the game changed—and by the time Olise entered the game, France had taken control.
Olise really turned it on after coming off the bench
The Bayern Munich pro immediately brought significantly more danger to the French offense. Things got hectic in the closing stages: First, Désiré Doué—who had also come on as a substitute—scored the equalizer in the 77th minute.
Just four minutes later, Olise was directly involved in a goal for the first time. The 24-year-old set up Rayan Cherki’s 2–1 goal, putting France firmly on the path to victory.
But Olise was far from done. In the 88th minute, the Bayern star scored the 3-1 goal himself, practically sealing the French victory. In stoppage time, he even added another, scoring his second goal to make the final score 4-1.
The super sub’s stats were impressive: 30 minutes of playing time, two goals, and one assist.
Olise continues his strong run with the national team
For Olise, it was yet another outstanding performance in the French jersey. He had already scored the decisive goal as a substitute in the 1–0 first-leg victory over Belgium. In the subsequent 1–1 draw against Italy, he scored on a free kick.
Now came another stellar performance against Belgium. In the four Nations League matches against Turkey, Belgium (twice), and Italy, Olise was directly involved in six French goals.
Particularly noteworthy: Against Belgium, it took him just half an hour to be directly involved in three goals. Zidane had deliberately given his star attacker a breather after the intense past few weeks—and was subsequently rewarded with a highly motivated substitute.
After four games, France sits atop its Nations League group with ten points and has its sights firmly set on the quarterfinals. Belgium has six points.
For FC Bayern, the form of its attacking star is likely to be particularly encouraging. Olise returns to Munich after the international break brimming with confidence—and has once again proven that he can completely change the course of a game in just a few minutes.