Wolves 1 Middlesbrough 0 – Five talking points

Leo Bonatini was the hero, netting the only goal of the game just 33 minutes into his debut.

Nuno Espirito Santo's team struggled to create many more opportunities and were indebted to John Ruddy for a couple of smart saves.

But what did we learn from this opening-day clash against the Championship title favourites? Wolves correspondent Tim Spiers picks out five talking points.

Bravo Bonatini

There were more than a few eyebrows raised when Wolves finally signed their first striker of the summer from a Saudi Arabian club on loan.

Leo Bonatini's goal record with Estoril and Al-Hilal during the past two seasons is impressive, but with the likes of Britt Assombalonga being snapped up by yesterday's opponents Wolves fans were also hoping for a striker who's proven himself at a good level over a long period of time.

That may still happen – but in Bonatini it appears Wolves may have unearthed someone who can make an impact at Championship level.

His goal was well taken under pressure but his general performance leading the line, often with his back to goal and linking the play, was even more impressive.

Bonatini is thrilled by the opportunity to play for a club as big as Wolves and determined to grasp it with both hands, as he said in an enjoyable post-match interview where his fixed smile was as wide as the South Bank.

Training pays off

Wolves were nowhere near at their best here. Or, given that we hadn't seen seven of these players in the Championship before yesterday, they weren't at the level we anticipate they can reach in the coming weeks and months.

They certainly never reached the heights of the free-flowing fast-paced attacking moves they put together against Leicester a week ago.

No, instead, this victory was built on the solid foundations of the past six weeks of training. Namely, the relentless work done on shape, discipline and positioning on the training ground.

That meant that when lacklustre Middlesbrough finally decided to turn up with 20 minutes to go Wolves were able to withstand them reasonably comfortably. Yes it got edgy towards the end but Boro couldn't find a way through the Wolves wall and failed to create a decent chance past the 75-minute mark.

That's testament to the way Nuno has drilled Wolves' resoluteness into them. He's building from the back – and it shows.

In a 46-game Championship campaign where the majority of matches will be settled by the odd goal it's a great quality to have.

Going forward

Talking of work on the training ground, Nuno will surely place a strong emphasis on creativity in the final third at Compton Park in the coming days.

This was an impressive win against highly-regarded opposition who will surely finish in the top six, minimum, this season.

But it can't be denied that Boro just didn't get going here and yet still created far better opportunities than Wolves. There was a slight concern in the manner that Wolves created no clear-cut chances from their own play, aside from Bright Enobakhare's dazzling turn and run early in the second half.

The returns of Ivan Cavaleiro, Helder Costa and Ben Marshall, plus a fitter Jordan Graham and the likely addition of a new striker will change that.

How refreshing then, that despite being shorn of so many creative talents Wolves still managed to beat a very expensively-assembled team that's just come down from the Premier League.

Sultry Saiss

It's been a long while since Romain Saiss ran a match like this in a Wolves shirt.

The Moroccan flattered to deceive on too many occasions last season and it was expected he'd be on the endangered species list in the summer.

But in he and Ruben Neves, who enjoyed an assured debut, Nuno may have found a midfield pairing that can dominate Championship opposition through physicality, breaking up play and recycling the ball quickly and efficiently.

Saiss was the pick of the two here. More of the same please.

For Carl

Everyone knew it would be an emotional day at Molineux (which housed its fourth biggest attendance since redevelopment in the early 1990s and its biggest opening-day crowd since 1980) and it certainly didn't disappoint in that regard.

After a three-month absence football was finally back in WV1 but at the forefront of everyone's minds was Carl Ikeme, whose video message before kick off brought the house down.

What with the magnificent 24-hour penalty shoot-out organised by Steve Plant and co (which raised £12,000), the mosaic in the South Bank, the huge banner in the North Bank, the magnificent programme cover drawn by Jody Craddock, fan Martin Danks and co's 10-mile walk to the game from Cannock, the banner in the Boro end, the special t-shirts the players wore before kick off, the Carl Ikeme songs during the game, Gabby Agbonlahor's tribute after scoring for Villa and much more, Ikeme has been the focus for everyone and Wolves deserve high praise for their handling of the situation.

In fact it's been utterly inspiring to see everyone in the Wolves family unite to create so much love, affection and support for Wolves' number one.

This and every win this season will be dedicated to Carl.