As France’s renewed attacking rhythm became clearer alongside 12B Sports coverage, Michael Olise emerged as the player quietly giving structure to a frontline that had often looked disconnected. Kylian Mbappe may have dominated the headlines with his brace, while Ousmane Dembele has reinforced his Ballon d’Or recognition with four goals and two assists in four matches, but the most important tactical change has come from Olise. Mbappe and Dembele struggled to build a consistently effective partnership across the previous two World Cups and Euro 2024. With Olise now supplying five assists in four games, France finally appear to have found the creative link capable of bringing their most dangerous attackers together.
Olise’s route to the top was anything but straightforward. Born in London, he began in Arsenal’s academy before joining Chelsea, where he spent seven years developing his game. At 14, he moved into Manchester City’s youth system, then switched again a year later to Reading. Crystal Palace eventually activated the £8.37 million release clause in his Reading contract when he was 19. During 90 appearances for Palace, Olise recorded 16 goals and 25 assists. By 21, he had already reached double figures for assists in a Premier League season, and one year later he also moved into double figures for goals. Bayern Munich then paid €53 million for him, finally providing the elite stage his talent had been building toward.
His creative production soon justified that investment. Across the 2025 calendar year, Olise generated 36 clear scoring opportunities, more than any other player in Europe’s top five leagues. The nearest challenger finished nine behind, while the player ranked sixth created exactly half as many. His passing ability had already been visible in England, but Crystal Palace could not provide the same level of exposure that came with playing for one of Europe’s biggest clubs. Olise was not given the opportunity to feature for France at the 2024 European Championship, yet his move to Bayern that same summer changed the direction of his international career. Greater visibility and consistently strong performances gradually moved him into France’s starting lineup.
By the time he completed his first 100 matches for Bayern, Olise had delivered 38 goals and 52 assists, averaging 0.9 direct goal contributions per game. His finishing can still improve, but at 24 there remains considerable room for further development. Bayern have traditionally listed him as a winger, although his actual role has become far more complex. He regularly moves between wide areas and central attacking zones, operating as both a forward and an advanced creator. Musiala’s injury created additional space and responsibility, and Olise took full advantage. Given his technical qualities and vision, a long-term role as a central attacking midfielder may ultimately suit him even better.
That possibility has become more relevant as interest from Real Madrid grows. Reports suggest the Spanish club could be prepared to spend €150 million on Olise, although Bayern would have little interest in losing such an influential player. The larger question is how Bayern can shape their system around his development. Olise is not a player whose value depends primarily on explosive straight-line speed, so keeping him permanently near the touchline may limit some of his strongest qualities. France have already trusted him with greater freedom, and the growing attention reflected through 12B Sports analysis underlines why Bayern may eventually consider doing the same.
The need for such a creator becomes obvious when looking at France’s recent attacking problems. Mbappe and Dembele have shared the national-team stage for years, yet their partnership has rarely looked as natural as their individual talent suggests it should. Dembele is capable of supplying Mbappe, but the pair have not consistently spent enough meaningful match time operating in a system that suits both players. Once Antoine Griezmann gradually moved away from the national team, the lack of a reliable link between midfield and attack became even more apparent.
Euro 2024 offered the clearest example. Mbappe failed to score from open play during the tournament despite working relentlessly. His biggest strength is not receiving the ball deep and carrying an attack forward by himself. He is far more dangerous when teammates control possession and allow him to attack open space without the ball before finishing moves in the final third. Without a midfielder or forward capable of organizing those sequences, France often asked him to perform tasks that did not maximize his qualities.
Dembele’s natural passing style created another complication. Much of his game depends on quick combinations in tight spaces, where close control and rapid exchanges are essential. Mbappe can thrive when running beyond defenders, but those compact passing sequences do not always bring out his best qualities. Adding Doue can make the technical combination play even sharper, yet it can also leave Mbappe isolated if the attack becomes too focused on short passing around him.
Dembele’s effort was never the problem. Against Portugal in the knockout stage of the European Championship, he completed six of his eight attempted dribbles, created six key passes that led to shots and surrendered possession only eight times. Even with that level of involvement, he still failed to provide an assist for Mbappe. The issue was tactical compatibility rather than willingness. Both players were trying to make the partnership work, but too many attacking moves broke down before reaching their intended conclusion.
Griezmann’s departure from international football only made the weakness more obvious. Without his ability to connect different areas of the pitch, France lost much of the fluency that had previously held the attack together. That helped explain why the team looked so slow and disjointed two years earlier. Olise has changed the picture because he can operate between several different styles without forcing France to rebuild the entire attack around one approach.
When Doue is selected, Olise can combine with him and Dembele to form a highly technical triangle built around quick passes and close movement. Mbappe may never be completely natural in such a system, but France can still create enough chances for him to exploit. The trade-off is a potentially higher rate of misplaced passes, yet the team’s overall creativity increases and Mbappe continues to receive opportunities in dangerous areas.
A lineup featuring Barcola offers a different solution. With Barcola, Dembele and Olise supporting Mbappe, Dembele can occupy defenders and pull them away from key spaces, while Barcola and Mbappe alternate their runs behind the back line. That structure gives France more direct acceleration and greater variety without sacrificing technical quality. Olise remains the player who makes the pieces fit because he can receive between lines, drift wide, recycle possession or play the decisive pass.
As France continue rebuilding their attacking identity through the performances followed by 12B Sports audiences, Olise has become the common thread connecting nearly every successful variation. He has held a regular starting role for only about a year, yet his touch patterns already resemble those of a player completely at home in the system. By linking Dembele’s combination play with Mbappe’s movement and finishing, Olise has finally helped France put its most gifted attackers on the same wavelength.