3️⃣ points as Wolves crash out of Europe after Sevilla leave it late | OneFootball

Wolves’ European adventure came to an underwhelming end on Tuesday evening as Sevilla beat them 1-0 to qualify for the semi-finals of the Europa League.

Raul Jimenez missed a penalty inside the opening 15 minutes, but the Premier League outfit barely laid a glove on their Spanish rivals for the rest of the evening, eventually going down to a late Lucas Ocampos goal.

Run out of legs

And so, Wolves’ 58-game season has come to an end – just over a year after it started.

Take nothing away from Nuno’s side, who have battled brilliantly to the last eight of this competition, but this was the right time to go.

Wolves paid for Raul Jimenez’s missed penalty in the first half and then struggled to do anything much of note for the rest of the 90 minutes.

This was an ultra-defensive display from a side whose legs had very clearly gone.

Adama Traoré was arguably their best player on the night, but his tireless running was usually for nothing.

The passes of Joao Moutinho and Ruben Neves rarely found their targets and Jimenez was nothing but a passenger for most of the night.

Sevilla on the other hand, looked like they could go all evening, forcing Wolves back to the edge of their own area and tallying up 12 corners in the process.

This has been the most remarkable of seasons’, but in the end, it was just a race too long for Wolves.

Getting better all the time

There’s a great story about Adama Traoré’s time at Middlesbrough that former manager Tony Pulis tells.

The Welsh tactician was in charge of Boro when Traoré was there back in 2016, and told The Athletic that the flying winger was so lacking in game intelligence, that he used to make sure the former Barcelona swap wings at half time, to be on his side of the pitch.

Pulis says how he would literally coach Traoré through a game, bellowing instructions non-stop for 90 minutes.

It clearly paid off.

Traoré has been a sensation for Wolves this season, offering up 12 assists before tonight’s game and generally giving full-backs nightmares in all corners of Europe.

The former Barcelona man was at it again tonight, providing us with one of the most breath-taking moments of the season as he glided past four Sevilla defenders before being fouled inside the penalty area.

Raul Jimenez couldn’t convert – the first time he has ever missed a competitive spot kick – but it was a moment that made every one sit up and notice and will surely have caught the eye of every big club on the continent.

Star of the future

Jules Koundé has only been with Sevilla for a year, but it already looks as if his time with the Andalusian club is coming to an end.

Not because of a series of underwhelming performances or some terrible individual errors – no, Koundé is going places, we’re talking, the very top of the game places.

Koundé was sensational here this evening, rarely giving Raul Jimenez the half-yard he needs, tracking runners expertly and reading the game like he was a 35-year-old veteran.

That he’s only 21 and playing his first season of European football is astonishing.

It really is no wonder that Real Madrid are believed to have highlighted Koundé as Sergio Ramos’ long-term heir.