Deal done: France beat Northern Ireland 3-1 in Lille, with Michael Olise taking home the match ball and keeping D. Deschamps on track heading toward the summer regrouping.
Deschamps set his side up in a 4-2-3-1, Kylian Mbappé leading the line with Olise, Ousmane Dembélé, and Désiré Doué rotating behind. I. Baraclough answered with a 3-5-2 built around Trai Hume’s back line and the energy of Shea Charles and Patrick Kelly. The visitors stayed compact, France waited for the crack, and it arrived in the 43rd minute when Olise broke the resistance with the opener.
The message at half-time was clear: Deschamps introduced Maxence Lacroix for William Saliba and Malo Gusto for Jules Koundé in the 46th minute to keep the tempo high. Within three minutes of the restart Olise scored again in the 49th minute, confirmation that France’s press and ball circulation were suffocating Northern Ireland’s counters.
Baraclough’s team did not fold. Ethan Galbraith came on for Ali McCann in the 63rd minute, and moments later Kelly converted after Charles supplied the pass in the 64th minute. That prompted another French flurry. The triple change on 62 minutes, Bradley Barcola, Lucas Digne, and Rayan Cherki replacing Doué, Théo Hernández, and Dembélé, restored zip between the lines, and Gusto’s delivery allowed Olise to complete his hat-trick in the 74th minute.
Aurélien Tchouaméni and Adrien Rabiot kept the base secure, with Maghnes Akliouche and Manu Koné arriving in the 82nd minute and N’Golo Kanté at 90 minutes to close out the game. Mbappé did not score yet he dragged defenders wide all evening, freeing Olise to attack the space. France finished with 73 percent possession and 27 shots, nine of them blocked, evidence of sustained pressure even if Pierce Charles was asked to make only two saves.
For Northern Ireland there was resilience to note. Charles and Ruairi McConville absorbed plenty, Kelly’s goal will encourage a young forward line, and Charles’s assist underlined why Baraclough trusts him as a midfield hub. They managed only four attempts but kept their shape deep into the contest.
Numbers
- Possession: France 73 percent, Northern Ireland 27 percent
- Shots: France 27 total, 5 on target; Northern Ireland 4 total, 2 on target
- Pass completion: France 93 percent (769 accurate), Northern Ireland 80 percent (255 accurate)
- Corners: France 5, Northern Ireland 1
France now return to Clairefontaine before Deschamps trims the roster for next month’s commitments, while Baraclough will review this tape before locking his squad for the autumn Nations League cycle. For more international coverage, check the latest from Peru vs Spain and Vanuatu vs Fiji.
