The latest Wolverhampton Wanderers news from BirminghamLive as Wolves lose final friendly
Vitor Pereira
Vitor Pereira(Image: Sky Sports)
Wolves lost their final pre-season game, going down 1-0 at Molineux to Spanish side Celta Vigo.
Wolves were unable to find the net, a week before their Premier League campaign gets underway at home to Man City, with Pablo Duran’s second half volley claiming victory for the visitors.
In the opening 15 minutes, the visitors were most threatening, as Wolves’ defence were creating their own trouble. Emmanuel Agbadou’s poor pass led to a Celta break, and after Ferran Jutgla found space on edge of the box, but his shot was turned by Jose Sa’s fingertip full stretch.
New Molineux signing David Moller Wolfe took a heavy challenge from Javi Rueda inside the Wolves box moments later and needed treatment, but then Lopez went on a great run through the heart of the Celta midfield and defence.
Against his former side, the forward squared a pass to fellow summer signing Jhon Arias inside the box who took a touch to create space before lashing an effort straight at Ionut Radu.
Molineux burst into song on the 18th minute in honour of fallen Wolves hero Diogo Jota, who tragically died in July.
Later, a lapse at the back allowed Rueda to bear down on goal with just Matt Doherty and Sa in his way, but the Irishman got in a block. Moments later, Toti had Sa back-pedalling as his header fooled the keeper and almost crossed the line but he was able to dive on it.
Rueda was causing difficulties for Wolfe and Toti down the Celta right and it was his cross to the far post which looked to have created a goal as it passed over Sa’s head on its way to Jutgla who was yards out from goal, but Doherty was able to put his head in where it hurts.
Wolves began to show their teeth as the game approached half-time, with Ki-Jana Hoever putting in a good cross and his ball was heading towards Jorgen Strand Larsen, but Radu dived off his line to gather at the feet of the Norwegian. Moments later Wolfe curled a cross towards the far post and his fellow countryman but, with his back to goal, Strand Larsen was unable to trouble the keeper with his flicked header.
The second half took a while to get going with both sides trying to create opportunities without really troubling the keepers. Hoever tried to find a gold shirt inside the box, but overhit his cross, before moments later, fresh on as a half-time sub for Wolfe, Hugo Bueno had a chance to stretch his legs down the left for Wolves, but his cross towards Strand Larsen was cut out by former Bournemouth keeper Radu.
But just before the hour mark, their opposition opened the scoring. Fran Beltran found space and after floating a pass to Duran, who got between Agbadou and Doherty, he hit a sweet volley on the turn which Sa got a hand to, but not enough to stop the ball finding its way into the net.
Wolves had an opportunity to equalise as Lopez raced away from three challenges before laying a pass into the path of Hoever who cut a cross back towards Arias on the edge of the box, but the pass was cut out with a sliding challenge.
Agbadou almost headed Wolves level when he met a Jean-Ricner Bellegarde corner, but Radu got a strong hand to the ball to keep out the header.
Bueno picked out Strand Larsen with a cross minutes later, but the striker could not get enough purchase on his header.
Celta had a chance to go two ahead after Jones El-Abdellaoui pushed Bueno off as the pair raced towards the Wolves box, and after creating space he could only turn the ball wide of Sa’s post.
Wolves almost combined for an equaliser in the dying moments as Sasa Kalajdzic was played into space, and instead of going for goal, the Austrian tried to cut the ball back for Marshall Munetsi but he was crowded out.