Vitor Pereira is reaping the benefits of midfield duo Joao Gomes and Andre, who were crucial to Wolves’ win over Southampton.
On a bright afternoon on the South Coast, Wolves beat Southampton 2-1 to take a huge step away from the relegation zone.
A nine-point gap now separates the Old Gold from the bottom three, giving Pereira some room to manoeuvre ahead of the run-in.
While Jorgen Strand Larsen was the talk of the game, it was two other players who also earned high praise, with Gomes and Andre’s partnership paramount to the victory.
Photo by Jack Thomas - WWFC/Wolves via Getty Images
Photo by Jack Thomas – WWFC/Wolves via Getty Images
Joao Gomes shares new nickname for Andre
Julen Lopetegui left Wolves several parting gifts, one of which being the capture of Gomes from Flamengo.
Gary O’Neil did the same by signing Andre in the summer, with Pereira now relishing combining the Brazilian duo in midfield.
Andre and Gomes were praised against Southampton for how they controlled the game, rarely putting a foot wrong in the middle of the park.
From tidy passing to winning back possession, the pair did what they were assigned to do and more, seeing them share some love for each other after the game.
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Credit: @Andre7 @joaogomes.01 Instagram
On his Instagram story, Gomes posted a picture with Andre, calling the midfielder a ‘monster’, a nickname that fits the summer signing rather well.
Andre then reposted the image with his caption reading, ‘my monster’, redirecting the praise right back at his countryman.
Gomes and Andre impressed against Southampton
Given that O’Neil wasn’t wholly convinced about Andre, it’s a relief that Pereira is utilising the Brazilian to play to his strengths in a pivot with Gomes.
The pair complement each other seamlessly, as seen against Southampton, who couldn’t cope with the duo’s strength in midfield.
Joao Gomes Statistic Andre
67 Touches 59
96% Pass completion 92%
8 Duels won 3
6 Tackles 3
2 Interceptions 1
6 Possession lost 4
Andre and Joao Gomes vs Southampton – Sofascore
Aside from near-perfect passing and duel wins, what was most impressive about the two stars’ performance against the Saints was how little they lost the ball.
In 90 minutes, Gomes and Andre lost the ball a combined ten times, which is remarkable considering that Jean-Ricner Bellegarde lost possession 12 times by himself.
Pereira will hope that Andre returns from international duty at full fitness, with Gomes missing out this time in the Selecao.