Michael Olise and the Tactical Switch That Changed the Game as France Beat Senegal

A 3-1 victory to begin the World Cup: Les Bleus, guided by Kylian Mbappe, secured three vital points. Starting well was crucial, and Mbappe's two goals proved decisive.

But there is more to this than initially meets the eye. To begin with, Didier Deschamps' side was fairly disappointing in the first half. With only one shot attempted, this was their lowest tally in a group stage match since 1966!

However, we must not overlook the outstanding display from Michael Olise.

In the first half, Olise's rating was slightly above average (6.8, according to our own ratings system) thanks to eight successful passes out of ten in the final third (80 per cent), most of which were short passes down the right flank.

Only two crosses or passes into the box failed to find a teammate (both from corners) and resulted in neither a shot nor a touch inside the area. These fairly neutral statistics soon changed dramatically.

A Tactical Masterstroke

The key change proved to be the decision at half time to swap the positions of Ousmane Dembele and Olise, enabling the latter to take up a more central role. This gave him greater freedom both when in possession and without the ball.

In the second half, his passing game significantly improved, alongside his overall rating. He created two clear chances, one of which led to a goal.

He recorded 0.93 expected assists (xA), for a total of 0.95, the second highest in the tournament so far; only Pedri has done better, with 1.23 against Cape Verde. He completed six out of seven entries into the box, with the only failed attempt coming from a corner. In terms of passing, he went 15 out of 16, or 94 per cent successful passes in the final third.

Regarding finishing, he had two shots for a total xG of 0.36; one of those missed efforts slightly lowered his rating as it was classified as a clear cut chance. He also completed all four of his dribbles in the final third.

The entire team benefited from this work, especially Mbappe, who did not manage a single shot on target in the first half but fired off four in the second, for a total xG of 0.76.

Beyond all these impressive statistics, it is worth highlighting the decisive and spectacular nature of the moves initiated by Olise. On the ball, he simply outperformed Dembele. Too timid, the Paris Saint-Germain star could not replicate his club form.

When Olise moved into the centre, his pressing proved much more useful for France. And when he had the chance to drive forward, he did so brilliantly.

Above all, his two line breaking passes were simply breathtaking. The first did not allow Mbappe to score, but the France captain made amends a few minutes later by finishing the Bavarian's assist in style.

So it is only logical that FIFA named Olise 'Player of the Match' for his performance against Senegal on Tuesday night.

We will have to see if Deschamps adjusts his tactics for the second match against Iraq on Monday, as he has done before in major tournaments.