DARK NIGHT FOR NUNO AS HORTA STEALS LIMELIGHT

UP UNTIL this defeat, Wolves’ Europa League adventure had offered respite from their domestic woes, yet Nuno Espirito Santo’s side learned there is no escaping sloppiness. Facing a spirited Braga, Ryan Bennett conceded possession cheaply in the 71st minute and the hosts were punished. The Portuguese visitors counter-attacked and got the game’s only goal. After winning all six of their qualifiers to make it to the main event, Wolves

now have work to do in Group K. The same goes in the Premier League as they remain winless. ‘All of us are disappointed,’ said Nuno, whose side travel to Crystal Palace next. ‘Really disappointed. The boys worked hard. This is football. We’ve got to go

out and bounce back immediately. We realise the situation we are in. The reality is we are not performing well. We have to find solutions and improve.’ The last time Wolves had competed in the main stage of a European competition was against PSV Eindhoven in October 1980, when they lost 3-2 on aggregate. It was the night the lights went out for Wolves in Europe, quite literally after a floodlight failure midway through the second half.

There was no danger of darkness at Molineux last night; the pre-match light show made sure of that. But Braga, despite sitting third-bottom of Portugal’s Primeira Liga, looked confident. Galeno, the 21-year-old wearing No 90 and one of Braga’s five Brazilians, looked particularly dangerous throughout. He thought he had won a penalty after half an hour when Conor Coady clipped him. There was contact, but Danish referee Jakob Kehlet gave nothing, much to the visitors’ fury. Wolves should have rubbed salt in Braga’s wounds before the break but Patrick Cutrone, with only Matheus to beat, albeit from an angle, dragged his shot wide. Braga struck in the 71st minute when Bennett tried to play a pass, only for Galeno to steal the ball