Wolves captain Conor Coady insists the Premier League side are not in the Europa League “to make up the numbers” after they claimed their first win of the group stage with a 1-0 victory at Besiktas. Willy Boly struck deep in stoppage time to seal a dramatic win.
Wolves are in the main stage of a European competition for the first time in 39 years, and Coady is determined to make the most of the opportunity. “We want to compete to win,” he said. “We’ve said the whole time we’ve been here, we’re not here to make up the numbers, we’re here to have a good go.”
Boly’s goal was his first of the season but he showed great composure after he was picked out inside the box by Ruben Neves, taking a touch before placing a neat finish into the bottom corner. It was a thrilling end to what had largely been a cagey affair, with Wolves not managing a shot on target until midway through the second half.
Besiktas, meanwhile, went closest to scoring in the first half when a corner deflected off Coady and on to the post. “Besiktas are a good team, they pushed us, so I’m happy for the boys,” Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo said.
