Leo rising
Wolves.....1 M’boro.....0 BRAZILIAN’S STAR ALREADY IN THE ASCENDANCY
AMID all t he headlines surrounding Wolves this summer, Leo Bonatini had slipped into Molineux last week virtually unnoticed.
Yet the Brazil hitman, signed on a season’s loan from Saudi Arabia outfit Al Hilal, announced his arrival in the Midlands loud and clear.
If all eyes were focused on Wolves’ £15.8million record buy Ruben Neves at the start, Bonatini took just 33 minutes to steal the show.
The South American, 23, marked his debut on these shores with a neatly taken goal that proved enough to settle this battle between t he Championship’s t wo big spenders.
An opening-day victory was the perfect way for Wolves to launch their revolution under new Portuguese coach Nuno Espirito Santo.
The ex-Porto boss said: “We are pleased with the boys, they worked well but tomorrow is another day.
“Bonatini did a very good job. He’s the one that finished all the hard work of the team. We’re taking care of his fitness. He has had less work than the rest. He will progress.”
But while the manager and home fans celebrated wildly at the final whistle, the mood in the Boro camp was the total reverse.
Garry Monk’s men had arrived as the bookies’ pre-season favourites for immediate promotion back into the Premier League.
But despite blowing the best part of £40m in the transfer window – including a staggering £30m on three strikers – Middlesbrough ended up firing blanks here.
In all there were 12 new names in action – seven for Wolves and five for the visitors. Yet, even with Britt Assombalonga, Ashley Fletcher and Martin Braithwaite up front for Boro, it was slick Wolves who took control from the off.
And their first-half dominance was rewarded 12 minutes before the break. A shocking pass across his own area from Boro defender Daniel Ayala was the cause. Bonatini was alive to the mistake as he intercepted, took one touch to steady himself and coolly fired Wolves in front.
It was no more than Nuno’s troops deserved but had it not been for a dreadful miss by Braithwaite it would have been level at half-time.
The Danish international cost £9m from Toulouse but with the Wolves goal at his mercy he headed Cyrus Christie’s pin-point cross wide from six yards out.
Wolves, who last term finished only seven points clear of the Championship drop zone, pressed for a killer second.
But they were unable to pierce Boro’s rearguard again and, having withstood that pressure, Monk’s side finally began to show why they are so heavily fancied to go up.
In the 72nd minute they carved out another superb opportunity.
Assombalonga seemed odds-on to open his account for his new club when the ex-Forest ace found himself in the clear with just the keeper to beat.
However, despite the £15m signing’s sharp first-time shot, Wolves keeper John Ruddy tipped it round the post.
Monk refused to be to down over the day-one setback.
He said: “We don’t feel we deserved to lose. But it’s only the first game.
“It’s still very early days and this group will only get better.”