Wolves face toughest task yet in stellar Nuno season
THREE more wins are all Wolves need to produce the perfect ending to three years of stunning progress. When Nuno Espirito Santo o took charge on May 31, 2017, the club had just finished 15th in the Championship. Tonight, they take on Sevilla — five times winners of Europe’s second-tier competition since 2006 — for the chance to meet Manchester United in the Europa League semi-finals on Sunday. This will be Wolves’ 59th game of a season that started on July 25 last year, and probably their most difficult. Sevilla have been flying since lockdown, going unbeaten in their final 11 matches to finish fourth in La Liga and qualify for the Champions League next season. Julen Lopetegui’s team also looked very impressive in despatching Roma 2-0 in their last-16 match on Thursday. Hours later, Wolves laboured to a 1-0 win over Olympiacos that cost them two key players: suspended winger Daniel Podence, and injured wing back Jonny, who damaged cruciate knee ligaments against the Greek champions. ‘We started against Crusaders more than a year ago,’ said Nuno (right). ‘Everyone has to realise that. It’s been long, long, long. To be in the last eight in Europe is huge. Everyone has to realise the effort of the players. ‘I don’t know how many miles we have travelled this season. It’s crazy what we have done and I’ve told the boys to make it worth it. Let’s make this final effort and compete against a very good opponent. ‘Nobody can forget that we started with this group of players in the Championship. ‘We have done two seasons in the Premier League and you always try to progress. ‘To repeat the history of the 1950s and 1960s (Wolves were league champions three times and won the FA Cup once between 1954 and 1960) is very difficult, though.’ Wolves landed in Dusseldorf on Sunday after a final training session at their Compton HQ and will remain in the city until they are eliminated from the competition, leaving it only to travel to matches. They trained at the MSV Arena in Duisburg last night. The entire travelling party returned negative results for Covid-19 in Saturday’s tests and had a further round of tests yesterday, with the results expected today. It is believed that the Wolves players have been advised to use their common sense while staying in Dusseldorf. Walks around the city are permitted, but the players have been encouraged not to enter shops or restaurants while in Germany. Lopetegui, the former Spain and Real Madrid coach, has done a fine job at Sevilla, yet he came close to taking charge of Wolves in 2016, after Chinese conglomerate Fosun had assumed control of the club. Instead, he was offered the chance to become Spain coach and took that route instead. ‘I was very close to Wolves. They were very nice to me and really interested,’ Lopetegui told Sportsmail in an interview in 2016. ‘When the federation called, naturally my objective became the national team, but it’s true that before that (Wolves and I) had been working hand in hand for some time. It was very close but in the end it wasn’t to be. ‘I enjoyed the time I spent with them. There were offers from the Premier League but their project was especially attractive. ‘Wolves is a great club, where there would be significant investment and a desire to grow, to shine again.’ There could be no better time to do so than against Sevilla in Duisburg tonight. WOLVES (3-4-3): Rui Patricio; Boly, Coady, Saiss; Doherty, Moutinho, Neves, Vinagre; Traore, Jimenez, Jota.