Diogo Jota might have taken home the match ball last night, but his hat-trick is unlikely to be the thing that people remember most about this match.
Why? Because every once in a while, there are goals which get remembered beyond their context – and boy did we have one of them tonight.
Wolves ran out 4-0 winners with Jota bagging three and Ruben Neves getting the other.
Neves’ goal tonight was one for the ages; a thing of beauty. No one knows better than the Wolves supporters what this young Portuguese man has in his locker, but he waited for the big occasion to unleash this screamer.
What stage will we reach in the Europa League?
Quarter Final
Round of 16
Semi Final
Final
With the game finely poised at 1-0 to the home side, an Adama Traore ball came in from the right-flank came in which was headed out of the box by the defender. The ball then dropped to Neves from nearly 30 yards out or so, where he wrestles with the opposition midfielder, taking the ball down on his chest, before lashing home an absolute rocket to put his side two goals ahead.
Understandably, Wolves fans were purring at the sight of it. And that’s reflected within their responses to the goal, as you can read below…
Complete and utter FILTH
— Tony Wilde (@TonyWilde99) February 20, 2020
Ruben does not score tap ins
— Phil Bradley (@wolvesbradders) February 20, 2020
Cant wait to hear our wolves commentators version of this. Bet he was going ballistic
— Jeff Spence (@jeffreyrspence) February 20, 2020
Rolls Royce of a player
— wwfc79 (@HeatonBobby) February 20, 2020
Build this man a statue
— Jack Crockford (@CrockfordJack) February 20, 2020
Absolute genius again
— Phil Beese (@BeesePhil) February 20, 2020
While this goal will get remembered without the context, it’s not as if the context isn’t enormous for the club, which makes it all the better.
With this arguably being the club’s biggest game of the millenium, Neves’ goal was the one which helped his team pull away, and essentially put the club into the next round, barring a minor miracle.
