Crusaders vs Wolves Preview: Where to Watch, Live Stream, Kick Off Time & Team News
Wolverhampton Wanderers will look to finish the job against Crusaders F.C on Thursday and book their place in the third round of qualifiers in the Europa League.
Goals from Diogo Jota and Ruben Vinagre in last week’s 2-0 victory at Molineux mean Wolves are in a great position to progress, having dominated possession throughout the tie.
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However, Crusaders' valiant efforts to restrict Wolves to just a couple of goals will offer them a glimmer of hope that a miraculous turnaround could occur at the Seaview Stadium.
Here's 90min's preview of the game/
Where to Watch
When is Kick Off? | Thursday 1st of August |
What Time Is Kick Off? | 20:00 (BST) |
Where Is It Played? | Seaview Stadium |
TV Channel/Live Stream | Premier Sports |
Team News
Wolves are expected to again play a strong side, just as they did in the first leg to ensure they safely progress.
There could be two changes to the starting line-up though, with front man Raul Jimenez in contention to start and new signing Jesus Vallejo expected to feature at some stage.
Whilst Ruben Neves suffered an injury during Wolves first leg victory, he has now recovered but may not be risked. Full back Matt Doherty, however, looks set to miss the game due to a knee injury he sustained in early July.
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Crusaders will be hoping captain Colin Coates is fit enough to start, after he missed the first leg. Apart from Coates, who’s return would be a boost to the Northern Irish side, few changes are expected after that disciplined performance at Molineux.
Predicted Lineups
Wolves | Patricio; Bennett, Coady, Boly, Adama, Dendoncker, Moutinho, Gibbs-White, Vinagre; Jota, Jimenez |
Crusaders | O’Neill; Forsythe, Burns, Coates, Hegarty; Caddell, Hale, Thompson, Lowry; Heatley, Clarke |
Head to Head Record
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Last week’s meeting was the first between the two sides and Wolves came out on top in a 2-0 victory.
The last match Crusaders played against English opposition was back in 2011 against Fulham, another Europa League qualifying match, in which they lost 7-1 on aggregate.
Recent Form
Wolves were victorious in the recent Premier League Asia Trophy, beating both Newcastle United and Manchester City. Alongside this, as already stated, they were triumphant in their last competitive game, which was of course against Crusaders.
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Crusaders, meanwhile, beat B36 Torshavn with ease in their first round Europa League qualifier, and successfully ended their season by winning the Irish Cup and the County Antrim Shield.
Here’s both sides last five fixtures.
Wolves | Crusaders |
Wolves 2-0 Crusaders (25/07) | Wolves 2-0 Crusaders (25/07) |
Wolves 0-0 Manchester City (3-2 Pens) (20/07) | B36 Torshavn 2-3 Crusaders (18/07) |
Newcastle 0-4 Wolves (17/07) | Crusaders 2-0 B36 Torshavn (11/07) |
Liverpool 2-0 Wolves (12/05) | Crusaders 0-0 Ballyclare Comrades (04/07) |
Wolves 1-0 Fulham (04/05) | Crusaders 4-1 Ards (29/06) |
Prediction
Wolves will be desperate to progress as they target an eventual place in the Europa League group stages for the first time in their history.
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Crusaders will take hope from last Thursdays display, but victory against a side of Wolves quality seems highly unlikely, especially with how seriously manager Nuno Espirito Santo is taking it. If Wolves can perform to a better level than last week in the final third, they will win with ease.
Prediction: Crusaders 0-3 Wolves
