Michael Olise is the successor to Robben

Michael Olise shook European football with a stunning goal against Real Madrid. He is indeed the heir to Arjen Robben at Bayern Munich.

Bayern Munich defeated Real Madrid 4-3 in a thrilling match at the Allianz Arena, and Michael Olise secured the victory with a goal in the 90+4th minute.

How well did Michael Olise play?

After receiving a pass from Harry Kane, the winger took the ball on the right flank, directly confronted Ferland Mendy, cut inside, and unleashed a dangerous left-footed shot into the top corner of the goal. This goal was not accidental. After the match, Olise said: "I've tried that type of shot about 5 or 6 times before. Each time I got a bit closer, and yes, this final attempt was truly excellent."

The goal against Real Madrid was Olise's 18th of the season for Bayern Munich. The 24-year-old French player is having a breakout season. In the Bundesliga alone, he has scored 12 goals and provided 20 assists. According to TNT Sports statistics, Olise is the player with the most assists in Europe's top five leagues. He has contributed to 47 goals (scoring and assisting) in 48 matches across all competitions. He even contributed to goals both at home and away against Real Madrid.

Olise is a key figure for Bayern Munich, maintaining a cool head and exceptional form over many weeks. In the 2-1 victory in the first leg at the Bernabéu, Olise played a crucial role and assisted Harry Kane's goal. Former Liverpool player Jamie Carragher exclaimed with admiration: "That was one of the best performances I've seen from a player this season."

Olise arrived at the Allianz Arena in the summer of 2024. At that time, Bayern Munich only had to pay around 53 million euros to activate his release clause from Crystal Palace. Looking back, this was clearly a smart purchase by Bayern.

Manager Kompany even stated: "Olise will undoubtedly become one of the best in the world someday. His current level is already equal to the top players in Europe."

Being compared to Robben

Since Arjen Robben retired, Bayern Munich fans have been eagerly searching for a worthy successor on the right flank. Now, Michael Olise has proven he is not just a replacement, but a reincarnation of the Dutch legend.

"Looking at Michael Olise's position and movement, he is very similar to Arjen Robben. He is the new Robben," declared Max Eberl, Bayern Munich's sporting director, earlier this year. Max Eberl affirmed that Olise has a chance to win the Ballon d'Or: "Of course he has the opportunity to become the world's best player. If I were voting, I would give my vote to him."

Robben himself had to comment: "Certainly there are similarities between me and Olise, but we also need to be careful with comparisons."

Although Olise possesses a somewhat more relaxed and calm playing style compared to Robben's explosive runs, the similarities are undeniable. His ability to receive the ball on the right wing, execute cuts inside, and deliver dangerous shots into the far corner has become his trademark in the Bundesliga.

Olise also has a low center of gravity and excellent ball control in tight spaces, making it very difficult to dispossess him. Additionally, his left foot is a "destructive weapon," whether delivering highly curved crosses or long-range shots.

Eurosport compared Bayern Munich's attacking trio of Olise, Harry Kane, and Luis Diaz to the historic "BBC" trio (Benzema – Bale – Cristiano Ronaldo) of Real Madrid. Before the second leg against Real, Bayern's trio had reached 89 goals this season.

With Olise's explosion and the other two attacking individuals, Bayern Munich fans have reason to hope that the Bavarian club will achieve the great treble (Champions League, Bundesliga, and German Cup) this season.