France ease past Northern Ireland in final World Cup warm-up before heading to the United States

What you need to know

Last rehearsal before departure. France won their second and final World Cup preparation match (11 June-19 July) against Northern Ireland (3-1) on Monday, 8 June at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy in Lille. A reaction was expected after the defeat to Côte d’Ivoire (1-2) on Thursday, and the team largely reassured by dominating a limited opponent, who still managed to score.

• Michael Olise shines. Facing the 70th-ranked nation, France needed a win to forget the defeat against the Elephants. They relied on Olise, who scored twice from deflected attempts just before and after the break (43rd and 49th minutes), then added his trademark curled shot into the top corner after cutting in from the right (75th). Patrick John Kelly’s goal in the 64th minute was the only blemish.
• Parisians and Saliba get minutes. The Paris Saint-Germain players, fresh from winning their second European title, arrived late to the squad and were rested for the first friendly. On Monday, Ousmane Dembélé and Désiré Doué started, with Doué impressing, while Bradley Barcola came on after an hour. William Saliba, who had been managing chronic back pain and was also rested, played the entire first half without any apparent issues.

• A successful farewell for Didier Deschamps on French soil. After 14 years in charge, Deschamps played his last match as manager on home soil, stepping down after the World Cup. His record with France after this victory: 91 matches, 63 wins, 14 draws, 14 defeats (69% win rate). The Stade Pierre-Mauroy crowd chanted his name in the 7th minute, corresponding to his jersey number when he played for France.