The Result Carries Weight
PARIS — Michael Olise completed a hat trick with a brilliant curler and France beat Northern Ireland 3-1 in its final World Cup warmup on Monday, a victory that also marked Didier Deschamps' last game on French soil after 14 years in charge of Les Bleus.
Olise netted from close range in the 43rd minute after Ousmane Dembélé's shot was blocked, then grabbed his second in the 49th, blasting in from near the penalty spot after Northern Ireland failed to clear a cross from the right. The fleet-footed winger saved his best for last, breaking off the right wing and bending an unstoppable shot into the top left corner from 20 meters in the 75th.
The trophy did not need much decoration; the season had already done most of the talking.
The Moment That Swung It
The Bayern Munich forward finished with 22 goals in all competitions this season and looks a certain World Cup starter for two-time champion France — runner-up to Argentina four years ago — against Senegal on June 16 in New Jersey.
After Olise's second goal, France's defense went napping in the northern city of Lille and Patrick Kelly tapped in a cross midway through the second half for Northern Ireland.
The Race Tightens
Kylian Mbappé failed to add to his 56 international goals and remained one behind France's all-time highest scorer Olivier Giroud.
Deschamps, who steps down following the World Cup, packed his attack with Mbappé, Dembélé, Olise and Désiré Doué — a glittering lineup that offered a clear preview of France's ambitions in New Jersey.