France might not have got to the World Cup stage they had hoped but their Bavarian cohort played a big role in the tournament.
Who had a better World Cup?
Bayern Munich's Dayot Upamecano and Michael Olise both played for France in yesterday's World Cup third place play-off defeat to England. The bizarre match finished 6-4 to the Three lions in Didier Deschamps final match as France manager.
Olise started the game on the right and was instrumental in France's second-half attempted fightback, providing two assists for Kylian Mbappé. These chances saw him break Pelé's long-standing record for most assists in a single World Cup, finishing the campaign with seven.
These efforts were not enough to help France win the bronze medal in a disappointing World Cup campaign - especially after the dour defeat to Spain in the semi-final.
How did they fair in the rest of the World Cup?
Olise finished the tournament with a record-breaking seven assists, surpassing Pelé's long-standing record of six set in 1970. His creativity was a constant threat, assisting in the group stage against Senegal and Iraq, and providing two assists in the Sweden and England games.
However, his tournament was not without criticism. He failed to score a goal and had a difficult semi-final against Spain where he lost possession 20 times, failed to complete a single dribble, and received a 3/10 rating from French newspaper L'Équipe.
Upamecano had a strong defensive tournament. According to Fotmob data, he registered five blocks and led the tournament with 15 interceptions. In the quarter-final victory over Morocco he had 72 touches with a 95% pass completion rate, alongside eight defensive actions including four clearances and two tackles.
What next for both players?
Bayern Munich's preseason officially begins on July 20, but both Upamecano and Olise will have an extended break after their World Cup run with France.
Olise's future has been the subject of intense speculation, with strong links to Real Madrid. This would be a huge transfer if successful and is definitely one to watch for the rest of the window.
