Pre-season: Young Boys 0 Wolves 4 – Report and pictures

Ivan Cavaleiro and Helder Costa put Wolves in charge with smart finishes before the break.

And then Leo Bonatini raced through to make it 3-0 after half time and then Rafa Mir added another late on as Wolves comfortably saw off the reigning Swiss champions and win the four-team tournament.

Analysis

The two previous English winners of the historic pre-season Uhrencup tournament were relegated from the top flight in the following season, namely Ipswich in 1963 and Stoke City in 2017).

It's only July but it's hard to envisage the same fate befalling Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2018/19, writes Tim Spiers at Stadion Neufeld.

Young Boys won the Swiss Super League by 15 points last season and begin the defence of their title next weekend.

They also fielded a first choice team here...but could barely lay a glove on Nuno's supremely assured side.

As against Basel in midweek Wolves started slowly but soon began to dominate. And in truth after half an hour the result was never in doubt.

Wolves were organised at the back, sprayed the ball around with confidence in midfield, kept their shape and then pulled Young Boys apart in the final third through the considerable creative talents of Ivan Cavaleiro, Helder Costa and Morgan Gibbs-White in particular.

There were also welcome goals for Leo Bonatini and Rafa Mir. The former hadn't scored in a first team game since December, while Mir netted his second of the week.

Apart from Barry Douglas and Diogo Jota missing the match through injury it's hard to think of a single negative this week for Wolves.

They've been deeply impressive in beating the best two teams in Switzerland – and it's only July 14.

Match report

Nuno selected as near to his first choice XI as he could apart from Diogo Jota and Barry Douglas who weren't risked after missing training yesterday with minor knocks.

Oskar Buur Rasmussen also missed out with a glute injury he picked up in training earlier this week.

In hot and sunny Bern it felt like a home game for Swiss champions Young Boys, who play their home games just a couple of miles from the rather ramshackle Stadion Neufeld, with its one wooden stand and a running track around the pitch.

There were a few thousands home fans in attendance as well as a sizeable Wolves contingent behind one goal, a good 20 yards from the pitch.

Wolves, sporting their new white away kit, made a fairly slow start with Young Boys on top in the early stages and former Ajax winger Miralem Sulejmani fired wide from a decent position.

But after a quiet spell in muggy conditions Nuno's team soon got a foothold and began to take control of the match.

Helder Costa should have made it 1-0 when he broke through on goal only to fire too close to the keeper.

Then on 26 minutes Wolves took the lead – Leo Bonatini's pass clipped off a defender and broke for Ivan Cavaleiro whose first-time right footed finish from 15 yards was too good for keeper David von Ballmoos.

Just four minutes later Nuno's team doubled their lead with another clinical finish, this time from Costa. Ivan Cavaleiro picked up Matt Doherty's throw, dribbled towards the box and slipped in his fellow Portuguese forward who coolly chipped over the keeper with his right foot.

It was all Wolves and their lead could have been even more sizeable by the break. Cavaleiro lashed over from the edge of the area and then only a strong touch from Costa saw him avoid being through on goal again after a lovely pass from Morgan Gibbs-White.

It was a very satisfactory half from the Championship champions who were consistent and solid all over the park, with the lively and bullish Cavaleiro and Costa providing the fireworks.

Cavaleiro also impressed against Basel and, as he was in Austria last year, has arguably been the pick of Wolves' players on tour.

He was one of two players to be taken off at half time, with him and the redundant John Ruddy replaced by Bright Enobakhare and Will Norris.

Cavaleiro's departure didn't lessen Wolves' attacking prowess though as they continued to dominate.

Morgan Gibbs-White hared down the right and cut back for Bonatini whose six-yard effort was somehow diverted onto the crossbar by the keeper.

Brazilian striker Bonatini was producing some good link-up play and getting in good positions – he just needed a goal and two minutes later it arrived.

Gibbs-White was again the creator-in-chief, playing a through ball which Bonatini latched onto and he stayed clear of his man before firing low past the keeper.

Mass substitutions followed soon after with Danny Batth, Kortney Hause, Cameron John, Pedro Goncalves, Elliot Watt, Rafa Mir and Benny Ashley-Seal entering the fray. Conor Coady and Ryan Bennett were the only ones from the starting line-up to remain, with Bennett moving to right wing back.

Young Boys missed a couple of half chances but Wolves weren't in any trouble and they should have added to their lead.

Enobakhare fired into the side netting from a decent position and then shot too close to the keeper after being played in on goal by a nice Ashley-Seal pass.

Teenage goalkeeper Andreas Sondergaard was given the final seven minutes in goal as sub Norris was subbed.

There was time for a fourth goal – and a second of the tournament for Mir – when he kept his composure to beat the keeper after being sent in on goal.

It was a rout – and one that Wolves fully merited.

Teams

Young Boys: Von Ballmoos, Bertone, Sulejmani, Sow, Fasnacht, Assale, Garcia, Wuthrich, Benito, Mbabu, Hoarau.

Wolves (3-4-3): Ruddy (Norris, 45) (Sondergaard, 83); Bennett, Coady (c), Boly (Hause, 63); Doherty (Batth, 63), Neves (Goncalves, 63), Gibbs-White (Watt, 63), Giles (John, 63); Costa (Mir, 63), Bonatini (Ashley-Seal, 63), Cavaleiro (Enobakhare, 45)

Goals: Cavaleiro (26), Costa (30), Bonatini (54), Mir (89)

Next up

Ajax (being played at Walsall's Banks's Stadium Thursday July 19, 2pm)