A game of two halves is a common phrase used in football. For Wolves, it was a case of a team of two halves. A lacklustre first half performance was balanced out by a gritty, stalwart second half display against a Leeds United side led by Marcelo Bielsa. With a lot of the media attention aimed more towards the men in white, it was the men in old gold who stole the glory.
Let's get to the player ratings:
Almost a full house of solid defenders
Rui Patricio 7/10: Considering Leeds dominated possession, Patricio had a relatively straight forward game. Performances like this should not be underestimated mind, with Patricio being solid and fully concentrated on the job at hand. A reliable pair of hands that continues to give the players in front of him full confidence in his ability.
Willy Boly 7/10: A return to the level of performance that some compare to that of a brick wall, Boly hardly put a foot wrong at the back. A very difficult man to beat both on the ground and in the air, it was great to see a reliable Willy Boly in the heart of the Wolves defence.
Conor Coady 8/10: A fantastic performance from 'Captain Fantastic'. Buoyed by his excellent England displays, Coady was instrumental to the solid defensive display. His positioning was exemplary, making Patrick Bamford seem off the pace, with all the interceptions and carrying of the ball to safety, as Leeds continued to pile the pressure on.
Max Kilman 9/10: There can be no doubt that Kilman is no longer simply a futsal player anymore, easily being the best player on the pitch this evening. He was the full package, winning every duel and making numerous key interceptions that eased the pressure on the Wolves defence. He fully deserves a starting place in the team and at 23 years of age, he will only get better.
Romain Saiss 7/10: He struggled in the first half with Leeds constantly getting in behind the left-hand side of the Wolves defence. Understandably perhaps with him playing in a less familiar position than normal. A more solid performance in the second half helped his side see out the game. It is such a shame that his goal was disallowed, as it was an absolute screamer!
Nelson Semedo 5/10: Never looked comfortable all game and was continually out of position. The majority of Leeds' attacks came down his side in the second half and Semedo had a very difficult time spotting the danger. He needs to quickly improve his positional sense, as otherwise he will be a weak link that will be exploited by more ruthless teams.
A not-so-enthralling attacking display
Leander Dendonker 6/10: The Belgian struggled to make his presence known in the middle of the pitch. He has definitely played much better, but with Wolves playing only two in the middle of the park, it was always going to be a hard game against a team dominating possession.
Joao Moutinho 7/10: Unlike Dendonker, Joao was more involved in the game, putting in some solid tackles and distributing the ball well. He has played better, but played his part in defending until he was subbed off.
Pedro Neto 6/10: A lot of energy, but not much output from the young Portuguese winger, who found it difficult to link up with his teammates throughout the game. He managed to beat his man numerous times, but could not then create opportunities and was easily nullified.
Daniel Podence 6/10: A quiet, unexciting display that was beginning to show a slight improvement until he was substituted. He should have done better with his chance before half time, but struck it straight into the hands of Illan Meslier.
Raul Jimenez 7/10: A very hard night for the man up top for Wolves. Constantly marked and crowded out, opportunities and touches were very hard to come by for the Mexican all game. Nonetheless, he continued to work hard to create chances and although his goal came in the form of a deflection, it was a testament to his desire and determination to make something work for his side.
Substitutions
Adama Traore 6/10: Was given nearly a 30 minute run-out, but apart from a couple of trademark dribbles, did not offer much going forward. Could have provided Semedo more support to solidify that right hand side more.
Ruben Neves: Not given long so seems unfair to give a rating, but worked hard to shore up any loose balls in front of the defence. Did exactly what he was brought on to do.