Wolves 3 Bristol City 3 – Report

Wolves took the lead through Leo Bonatini's tap-in but were level at half time when City defender Aden Flint's deflected shot found the net.

Diogo Jota turned home a corner to make it 2-1 just after the break before Famara Diedhiou scored a penalty and then Bobby Reid converted from a corner to edge the visitors in front with just eight minutes to go.

Wolves wasted a host of chances in the second half and levelled it up through Batth with 85 minutes on the clock as the spoils were shared.

Analysis

A member of the Jackson 5 was at Molineux tonight – and this victory should have been as easy as ABC.

Tito Jackson can come every week if Wolves games are going to be this entertaining. They went hell for leather with Bristol City in a six-goal thriller that had just about everything in front of a boisterous and enthralled Molineux crowd, writes Tim Spiers.

Nuno's team had double the shots of Bristol City and, unlike their previous matches which have at times been a little staid, carved out a number of chances with some breathtaking football in what was a humdinger of a Tuesday night in the teeming rain.

Bristol City hadn't won on Wolves' turf since 1931 – 86 years and 25 matches ago. Back then Major Frank Buckley's secret weapon of choice was said to be injecting monkey glands into his players.

Nuno Espirito Santo's rather more orthodox version is work, work and then work some more, with no shortage of tactical nous and of course a heavy sprinkling of technical ability in the form of several gifted players lured from the likes of Porto, Benfica and Atletico Madrid.

The fruits of his labour are already very evident but Wolves took their play to the next level at times here in front of their biggest midweek home crowd (23,045) for three seasons.

They may not have won – and some shoddy set piece defending, a feature of this season, played a big part in that (as well as some dreadful refereeing) – but this was a night that kept the feelgood factor going and showed again that Wolves have enough ingredients to do some real damage this season.

Match report

Nuno made two changes from the team that beat Millwall 1-0 on Saturday. In came Ivan Cavaleiro for his first league start of the season, while new Villarreal loanee Alfred N'Diaye was handed his full debut.

Ben Marshall and Romain Saiss dropped to the bench where they were joined by Michal Zyro, in a league squad for the first time since April 2016.

Wolves had produced a dominant display against the Lions which at times resembled a passing masterclass – and the first half here was no different.

They picked up where they left off on Saturday with some deeply impressive one-touch passing and moving in the Bristol third.

Debutant N'Diaye slotted in nicely to midfield, adding physicality via his imposing frame but also a delicate touch.

In fact it was N'Diaye who set up a deserved opening goal on the half hour, making a great run into the box which was found by Cavaleiro and pulling back for Diogo Jota whose tap goalwards was turned home by Leo Bonatini for his third goal in seven league games.

Wolves were well on top at this point and pinned the Robins back for most of the half, with Albion loanee Jonathan Leko sporadically proving dangerous for the visitors in an otherwise dominant Wolves performance.

Roderick Miranda had crashed a close range shot over the bar from a Cavaleiro corner, Ruben Neves sent a 20-yard volley wide and Matt Doherty had the ball in the net from a great move but was flagged offside.

Neves also pinged a 25-yard free kick just over and Bonatini should have scored another on the stroke of half time – he turned past the post from 10 yards after Jota's spectacular volley was saved.

By then the score was 1-1. Some sloppy defending, including from Neves, in failing to clear a corner saw the ball drop to Aden Flint whose deflected shot crept past a despairing John Ruddy dive.

The fact Wolves were heartily applauded off despite only just equalising told you all you needed to know about their performance,

The perfect response to that equaliser would be to come racing out the blocks and take their performance up a notch – which is exactly what they did.

Ten minutes to relentless pressure included another Neves free kick, a goalbound Cavaleiro shot which deflected over and then a gilt-edged chance for the same player who rounded the keeper but saw his effort cleared off the line.

From the resulting corner the pressure paid off with a deserved goal when Bonatini flicked Cavaleiro's corner to Jota who slammed home.

Just four minutes later though the visitors punctured the Molineux atmosphere with another equaliser. Ruben Vinagre handled a cross (although it looked ball-to-hand) and Famara Diedhiou slotted home the spot kick.

Wolves were absolutely adamant they should have had a penalty of their own when Danny Batth was pole-axed when going for a high ball. Referee Stephen Martin wasn't having it, although Nuno certainly was and he raced halfway down the touchline to remonstrate with the referee as Molineux reached fever pitch in what was a thoroughly enjoyable encounter.

Batth then somehow failed to connect with a superb Cavaleiro ball across goal, Jota slammed a 12-yard half volley against the bar and Bonatini and Jota failed to turn home Doherty's ball into the six-yard box as Wolves' evening turned from the sublime (football) to the ridiculous (misses).

And then Wolves' inability to defend corners came to haunt them yet again. A header against the post came out to Bobby Reid who tapped home and stunned Molineux with eight minutes to go.

A wonderfully entertaining game of football played out in driving rain and a fantastic atmosphere had one more twist in the tail – substitute Marshall's corner was met by a powerful Batth header with 85 on the clock and it was 3-3 in what was the last real goalmouth action of a Molineux classic.

Key moments

29 – GOAL – Alfred N'Diaye's pull-back reaches Diogo Jota, he prods back into the six-yard box where Leo Bonatini taps home.

43 – GOAL – It's pinball in the box as Wolves fail to clear a corner – the ball comes to Aden Flint whose deflected shot beats Ruddy.

45 – A stunning volley from Jota is saved, the ball eventually drops to Bonatini who misses the target from 10 yards.

53 – Ivan Cavaleiro is sent free in the box, he takes it round the keeper and his shot is blocked on the line.

54 – GOAL – But from the resulting Cavaleiro corner the ball is flicked on by Bonatini towards Diogo Jota who slams home from close range.

58 – GOAL – A cross is blocked by Ruben Vinagre and the referee judges he handled it. Famara Diedhiou puts away the penalty.

75 – Jota looks set to score with a 12 yard volley but crashes it against the crossbar.

82 – GOAL – A corner is headed against the post by Bailey Wright, it rebounds to Bobby Reid who taps home

85 – GOAL – Ben Marshall's outswinging corner is powered home by the head of Danny Batth

Line ups

Wolves (3-4-3): John Ruddy; Batth (c), Coady, Miranda (Saiss, 75); Doherty, Neves (Marshall, 84), N'Diaye, Vinagre; Cavaleiro (Enobakhare, 76), Bonatini, Jota. Subs: Norris, Deslandes, Price, Zyro.

Goals: Bonatini (29), Jota (54), Batth (85)

Bristol City (4-2-3-1): Fielding; Wright, Flint, Baker, Bryan; O'Dowda, Brownhill (Paterson, 77), Smith, Leko (Taylor, 68); Reid, Diedhiou (Pack, 78). Subs: Steele, Magnusson, Eliasson, Woodrow.

Goals: Flint (43), Diedhiou (pen, 58), Reid (82)

Attendance: 23,045

Referee: Stephen Martin (Staffordshire)

League position

4th (14 points from seven matches)