Olise subdued against Morocco, but spared suspension for semi-final

Michael Olise had a subdued quarter-final against Morocco (2-0), receiving his lowest ratings of the competition, but he will be available for Tuesday’s semi-final after avoiding another booking.

France qualified for the last four without breaking a sweat on Thursday, led notably by Kylian Mbappé, who scored the opening goal with a strike from outside the box in the 60th minute after missing a penalty in the first half. The second goal sealed a convincing victory over the Lions of the Atlas.

For Olise, the evening was far less brilliant than his previous outings. L’Équipe gave him a 5, the lowest rating among the Blues, noting that he was “sloppy at the start” and had “fairly limited influence”. Le Parisien pointed to a player “hampered by the opposition’s density”.

This relative underperformance contrasts with the enthusiasm generated by his earlier performances in the tournament. Zlatan Ibrahimovic had notably praised his quarter-final against Paraguay in glowing terms: “He was the playmaker, France’s Tom Brady in that match. When you have a player like Olise, don’t think, just run and the ball will arrive.”

However, a disciplinary issue hung over this match. The yellow card received by the Bayern Munich player in the closing stages of the Paraguay match had sparked controversy, with many judging it unjustified. Another booking against Morocco would have automatically suspended him for the semi-final. He was spared, and the Blues will therefore be able to count on him Tuesday as they bid to reach the final.