Michael Olise and Rayan Cherki return to their clubs after producing some excellent football for their country earlier this week.
| Weekend Betting markets | Odds |
| Rayan Cherki to score or assist vs Liverpool | 1/1 |
| Michael Olise to score vs Augsburg | 10/11 |
Odds courtesy of bet365. Correct at time of publishing and subject to change.
French attackers firing for club and country
Zinedine Zidane’s tenure as France manager started well with a 1-0 win in Turkiye. The only negative was the injury sustained by Kylian Mbappe, which led to his withdrawal from the squad. That raised doubts about how France would cope in the double-header with Belgium, either side of a home clash with Italy.
However, France had more than enough attacking talent in that squad to get by. Michael Olise, Rayan Cherki and Desire Doue shone as Les Bleus took control of their Nations League group. With 10 points from four matches, Zidane’s side are firmly on course for a place in the quarters.
Michael Olise is the joint-highest scorer in the Bundesliga with four goals this season. The Bayern Munich winger backed that up with four goals and two assists in four Nations League games. With seven goals in his last five appearances for club and country, the 24-year-old should keep the Augsburg defence busy this weekend.
The ex-Crystal Palace man starred as his national team netted four times in a 14-minute blitz against Belgium on Monday. However, he’s not the only French attacking player who looks poised to hit the ground running after the international break.
Doue also chalked up three goal contributions against the Red Devils. He lines up for PSG in a favourable home fixture against Le Mans in Ligue 1 on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Cherki takes that momentum into Man City’s Premier League with Liverpool. He scored the decisive second goal in France’s 4-1 comeback win over Belgium. The 23-year-old also assisted in each of Les Bleus’ previous two matches, while he has netted in his past two club appearances.
Will Olise and Cherki deliver again this weekend?
The return of club football will see France’s star-studded attack disband until November. However, on an individual level, they should continue to deliver for their respective clubs after a morale-boosting international break.
Olise and Cherki offer the best value to make goal contributions in their next matches. Despite the pair’s exceptional form, both carry value with the bookmakers to contribute this weekend.
Bayern are in Bavarian derby action against Augsburg and you can back Olise to score with an implied probability of 52%. His four-goal league return comes from an xG tally of 2.65, the fourth-highest figure in the German top flight. The London-born attacker has already scored eight times in seven matches for Bayern across all competitions this season.
A strike rate of a goal every 71 minutes suggests Olise should fire at the WWK Arena. Augsburg are doing well, but they have conceded five times across their past two games.
Cherki may not get quite as much space in a tougher fixture at Anfield. However, he still looks good to score or assist with an implied probability of 48%.
The Man City man is clearly on the rise and looks to have put a frustrating World Cup behind him. For the national team, Zidane appears to have more faith in the 23-year-old than his predecessor Didier Deschamps. His newfound importance for France will only fuel his confidence at club level.
Cherki’s recent performances are those of a player on top of his game. He has scored or assisted in five of his past six appearances for club and country. That form could continue against Liverpool, who have kept just one clean sheet in four competitive home matches under Andoni Iraola. Expect both Cherki and Olise to shine for their clubs this weekend.