Michael Olise, new signing from Crystal Palace, has the potential to become a Bundesliga superstar. So far, he has done little more than hint at it. Perhaps his international debut will give him a boost
Michael Olise’s debut in a senior Equipe Tricolore shirt lasted 58 minutes in the 3-1 defeat to Italy on Friday evening. Coach Didier Deschamps had previously called up the 22-year-old Londoner for the first time. The well-deserved reward for strong performances at Crystal Palace last season and at the Summer Olympics in Paris. There, Olise contributed to France winning the silver medal as a key player.
However, his participation in the Games delayed Olise’s debut at FC Bayern, who had signed the attacking player to a five-year contract early in the summer and invested a good €50 million in the transfer fee. In the long term, this should pay off, even if Olise only hinted at his abilities in the first two Bundesliga games. He played 75 minutes in the 3:2 win against VfL Wolfsburg, and was off after just under an hour in the 2:0 win against SC Freiburg. In the cup match at SSV Ulm (4:0), he set up a goal as a substitute in his first competitive match, and before that he also impressed with a spectacular goal in the test against Grashopper Zurich.
Breakthrough at FCB a matter of time
The breakthrough in the Bundesliga should therefore only be a matter of time, despite the late integration. Bayern did not deny the Frenchman participation in the Olympic Games. Partly because they calculated that Olise would come to Munich fully trained and fit to play thanks to the competition, which is exactly what happened.
Perhaps the first international matches will help Olise to unleash his full potential. He will only be able to defend his starting eleven spot with good performances. After all, the competition in attack is fierce. Thomas Müller has recently been doing a lot of advertising on his own behalf as a wild card, Kingsley Coman did not leave FCB as expected and Leroy Sané will soon be fit again. So far, Olise has played on the right wing, from where he is expected to move inside and look for finishes with his strong left foot. However, he could also play in a central position behind Harry Kane
