Bayern’s magic man: How Michael Olise ran riot in Bergamo

Jonas Urbig had no choice but to launch the ball long. Bayern Munich’s backup goalkeeper faced a pressing Atalanta line and limited options.

Dayot Upamecano gestured—essentially saying: “Just send it forward.” Few tactics could capture the moment better than a single word: Michael Olise.

The former Crystal Palace winger received the ball with the poise of a virtuoso. As the drizzle fell over the New Balance Arena, Olise controlled the descending ball effortlessly, flicking it for Serge Gnabry.

The timing was immaculate. Gnabry sped past goalkeeper Marco Carnesecchi, converting Bayern’s third goal after just 25 minutes, leaving the tie all but decided.

A season-defining display

Olise had already opened the scoring with a sublime curling shot from the right, a goal reminiscent of Arjen Robben’s finest. By March, his tally had reached 26 assists, a number that dwarfed expectations. Bayern supporters in the away end could hardly have imagined a more entertaining return on a €60 ticket.

Even without Harry Kane in the starting XI, Atalanta’s defense struggled. Coach Raffaele Palladino had deployed a 4-4-2, hoping Nikola Krstovic and Gianluca Scamacca could exploit Bayern’s gaps. Instead, Olise carved through the defense effortlessly, leaving wing-back Lorenzo Bernasconi overwhelmed. He added a second goal in the second half, calmly placing it in the top corner, rounding off Bayern’s 6-1 annihilation.

A talent nurtured and refined

“I aim to give my answers on the pitch first,” Olise said shortly after joining Bayern, a philosophy clearly in action on Tuesday. His impact goes beyond statistics. Bayern have netted 134 goals in 39 matches this season, a level of firepower reminiscent of Barcelona’s MSN or Real Madrid’s BBC eras. Olise’s artistry—scoring or assisting in consecutive Champions League campaigns—recalls the feats of Zinedine Zidane among French players outside the striker role.

Vincent Kompany praised Olise’s progression: “He started with Patrick Vieira at Palace, developed under Oliver Glasner, and brought a mentality here that can make him one of the world’s best. The attention to detail, the obsession with improvement—he has it in spades. Watching him is a pleasure.”

With Bayern’s quarter-final credentials firmly displayed, Olise is poised to shape their European ambitions. On a night in Bergamo, he was the difference between a tense fixture and a masterclass, the living proof that football’s most thrilling moments still belong to the individual genius.