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Michael Olise had to laugh. In a live interview with Micah Richards for US broadcaster CBS after Bayern’s 6-1 win at Atalanta, the Player of the Match was reminded of a chance encounter at a restaurant. His former France U21 coach Thierry Henry also joked about his nickname Titi and their time together at the 2024 Olympics. The 24-year-old had every reason to enjoy the post-match interview on the back of yet another world-class display in the Champions League.
The left-footer had scored twice in identical fashion in Bergamo, cutting in from the right and picking out the far corner. Comparisons with Bayern legend Arjen Robben were unsurprisingly quick to come up. “We knew Atalanta would play man-to-man and aggressive, but we also knew if we managed to maintain our structure, we’d get good chances. We’d get the space and just had to use it,” Olise said of the plan behind Bayern’s rousing first-leg result in Italy on Tuesday night.
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Oh là là, Olise
But Olise isn’t just about goals. In an era of structured football, he’s someone to make you fall back in love with the game. He was getting the better of defenders, producing scintillating first touches, threading through balls, dribbling, crossing and finishing. Watching the France international was enough to make you go “Oh là là”. On top of his two goals, he also contributed an assist and could’ve had much more after leaving La Dea in a spin.
“When I’m in a certain position, the coach wants me to beat my opponent one-v-one, to shoot and play freely. When you’re at a club like Bayern, you want to win it all. That’s obviously our objective,” Olise explained. And his contribution is very much helping in that regard. He’s scored 15 goals and provided 22 assists in all competitions. It’s a return that no other winger across Europe’s top five leagues can match. The summer 2024 signing from Crystal Palace also leads the continent for assists. “We’ve got good momentum right now and want to keep it up,” he added.
Kompany: “He’s very detailed in his work”
Asked about his coach Vincent Kompany, Olise said that “he has lots of ideas, a clear structure and lots of strengths”. The boss returned the favour at his press conference: “It’s not just my management. He started his development with Patrick Vieira and Oliver Glasner at Palace. He’s very detailed in his work, which is what makes him. It was the same with Kevin De Bruyne, who I watched become world class at Manchester City. Michael can be one of the best forwards ever. He’s very much on track there.”
The sky appears to be the limit for Olise right now. At first he’s focused on winning silverware with Bayern, before the London-born France international turns his attentions to the summer’s big highlight. “It’ll be exciting, my first World Cup,” he said of the upcoming tournament in Canada, Mexico and the USA, which he is almost certainly going to feature in. Famously not one for big displays of emotion, the excitement on the face of Bayern’s No.17 was clear for all to see as he looks ahead to yet more big Champions League nights and world glory this year.
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