Michael Olise scored his first senior international hat-trick to send France into the World Cup in style, as Didier Deschamps’ side beat Northern Ireland 3-1 in Lille.
It was a special occasion at the ground, with the home fans giving a warm send-off to Deschamps ahead of his expected departure after this summer’s tournament. The France manager named a strong side for the occasion.
France dominated from the off but had to wait until just before half-time to break the deadlock, when a deflected Ousmane Dembélé shot fell kindly for Olise to tap home. Northern Ireland had largely kept Les Bleus at bay up to that point, and Patrick Kelly had even threatened on the break in the first half.
Four minutes after the restart, Olise doubled France’s lead with a sharp finish after the ball dropped to him inside the box.
Northern Ireland pulled one back when Shea Charles won the ball and squared for Kelly to slot home, only the second goal his country have ever scored against France. That seemed to unsettle the hosts briefly, but Olise put the game to bed with a superb curling effort into the far corner from the edge of the box to complete his hat-trick.
It was not all good news for France, however, with Jules Koundé picking up a knock and being withdrawn at half-time, a potential concern just eight days before their World Cup opener against Senegal.
The result extends France’s unbeaten run against Northern Ireland to seven games, as Deschamps’ side now turn their full attention to winning a third World Cup crown.
