France has a very strong team named for the Olympics this summer in Paris, now in a warm-up game two Crystal Palace players have impressed.
After a hot finale to the season for Crystal Palace, Jean-Philippe Mateta has shown that it wasn’t just a purple patch, impressing during France’s Olympics warm-up against Paraguay.
Mateta was joined in the Olympics squad, under the management of Thierry Henry by Michael Olise who seems to be nearing a move to Bayern Munich this summer which would be a blow for the Eagles.
The pair will have felt unlucky to not have been in the Euros squad this summer, but after the display against Paraguay, Didier Deschamps will also be questioning his decision-making with the French squad yet to score from open play in Euro 2024.
How Jean-Philippe Mateta and Michael Olise fared for France v Paraguay
The two Selhurst Park forwards have already shown their quality during the first warm-up match for the Olympics this summer.
Both started the 4-1 win against the U23 Paraguayan team with the Palace connection being pivotal in the victory.
Mateta drew France level thanks to an Olise assist in the 44th minute.
Olise was taken off at half-time, but Mateta was kept on up front as one of the team’s ‘mature’ players allowed in the squad for the Olympics.
This decision from Henry paid off as Mateta grabbed his second goal of the game just nine minutes into the second half as he converted from the spot.
Mateta was withdrawn in the 64th minute having no doubt blown away Henry and the French fans. His display will also have left an Austrian very happy back in South London.
Olise assisting Mateta will have Palace fans wishing for one more year
Olise and Mateta isn’t a connection we’ve got to see often since the No.14 became a completely new player, due to Olise’s injury.
But to see them combining on the international stage does have us feeling short-changed with Olise departing already this summer.
For Palace fans, one more year of this combination would’ve been sublime and it’ll be bitterly disappointing for Olise to exit.
That being said, if Dougie Freedman can replace Olise with someone like Antonio Nusa, we could be lauding the decision to sell in time.
The post How Jean-Philippe Mateta fared for France in Olympics warm-up v Paraguay appeared first on We are Palace.
