WOLVES will have to pull off The Italian Job to progress to the group stages of the Europa League.
Second half goals from young guns, Pedro Neto, Morgan Gibbs-White, Ruben Vinagre and a sensational Diogo Jota scissor kick set up a tasty tie against Italian aces Torino, who lie in wait at the Stadio Olimpico on Thursday.
That will be no easy task, just 72-hours three nights after Nuno Espirito Santo’s side host Manchester United in a no-holds-barred Monday night rumble at Molineux.
However at least Nuno was able to shuffle his Wolves pack and rest some weary legs as he made nine changes to the side which kicked off the season at Leicester on Sunday.
Wolves were only supposed to blow the bloody doors off against Pyunik in the first-leg in Yerevan. Instead they smashed the poor Armenians to smithereens, winning 4-0 on the road to set up a cushy 8-0 win on aggregate after last night’s demolition job.
At least it allowed Nuno to hand first-ever starts to four new faces.
AC Milan’s Patrick Cutrone and Lazio’s Neto both cost £16million when they arrived this summer, along with Real Madrid loanee Jesus Vallejo.
Wolves’ other new starter was former England Futsal international Max Kilman who has made the step-up from the indoor game.
There were times after the break when Wolves looked as though they were playing Futsal as they stroked the ball about past their bewildered opponents.
And sub Diogo Jota brought the house down with a sensational fourth goal which came straight from Futsal’s Brazilian roots as Raul Jimenez flicked the ball into the air – for Jota to smash home with a spectacular bicycle kick.
By then Pyunik were longing for their SIX hour flight home!
Three of Wolves new boys combined to prise them open nine minutes after the restart.
Vallejo set Cutrone clear on the right and when he centred, 19-year-old Neto slammed home from close range.
The Portuguese kid then turned provider with a lay-off for Gibbs-White to bundle the ball beyond Andrija Dragojevic, before Vinagre added a third after Traore set him up.
That just left time for Jota to come off the bench and produce his piece of magic to bring the house down.
Nuno said: “No, it wasn’t easy. Pyunik started the game very well again. I’ve spoken to their coach and wish them all the best for the future.
“I thought all my players did a very good job, not just the new players. The second half display was very good.”
