Wolves 1 (Cavaleiro 60)
Leicester City 0
Wolves wound up their pre-season campaign with a thoroughly deserved win over Leicester City at Molineux - the winner coming on the hour from Ivan Cavaleiro.
The home side were close to taking a second minute lead as Diogo Jota’s 20-yarder took a hefty deflection and forced a fine save from Kasper Schmeichel.
But City should have been ahead in the eighth minute when Jamie Vardy found himself unmarked in the home area with just John Ruddy to beat.
The England striker sidestepped the keeper and the crowd expected the inevitable. Instead there was a loud cheer from the home support as Conor Coady got back and threw himself along the line to clear.
Barry Douglas hit a low cross that found Bright Enobakhare with his back to goal on the 18-yard line. He twisted and turned wrongfooting two defenders before hitting a low drive narrowly wide.
Seconds later the striker was close once more this time with a curling effort from outside the box that beat Schmeichel but also, by inches, the far post.
Islam Slimani limped off to be replaced by Shinji Okazaki as Wolves, playing the possession football favoured by new boss Nuno Espirito Santo, continued to look the brighter of the two sides.
Douglas carved out another opening when he fired in a low cross but when Cavaleiro ran in at the near post he smashed the ball the wrong side of the woodwork.
Half-Time: Wolves 0 Foxes 0
Wolves were unchanged for the start of the new half and they continued to take the game to their Premier League guests with Schmeichel needing two attempts at claiming the ball after a snapshot from Jota.
The midfielder was making an impressive home debut with some devastating bursts of speed and some precision passing, and another run took him into the City box where his shot was blocked at close quarters.
Matt Doherty was only just off target after he had struck a low cross from Cavaleiro with the outside of his right foot, before Wanderers moved into a 60th minute lead.
Jota was the man who created the opening slipping a pass to Cavaleiro after a surging run through the middle. Cavaleiro cut inside before unleashing a terrific effort that flew beyond Schmeichel and into the top corner.
Midway through the half Wolves made four changes with Dave Edwards, Danny Batth, Connor Ronan and Jack Price replacing Ruben Neves, Roderick Miranda, Jota and Romain Saiss respectively.
John Ruddy bravely saved at the feet of Marc Albrighton in a rare Leicester attack before Cavaleiro swung at Ronan’s square pass but lifted the ball over the bar from the edge of the box.
Three more home changes followed with Ryan Bennett, Jordan Graham and Michal Zyro taking over from Douglas, Enobakhare and Cavaleiro.
Wolves had several chances of extending their lead in the dying minutes. Ronan collected a Graham cross and his shot struck Schmeichel and then Danny Simpson before going out for a corner.
From a Graham corner the ball wasn’t cleared and Zyro smashed a shot on the turn against the post with Doherty steaming into the box on the follow up only to shoot over the bar.
Wolves: Ruddy, Doherty, Douglas (Bennett 79), Neves (Edwards 68), Boly, Coady (capt), Jota (Ronan 68), Miranda (Batth 68), Enobakhare (Graham 79), Saiss (Price 68), Cavaleiro (Zyro 79).
Unused sub: Norris.
Foxes: Schmeichel, Simpson, Drinkwater, Morgan (capt), Vardy, Albrighton, Maguire, Slimani (Okazaki 33), Ndidi, Mahrez, Fuchs.
Unused subs: Jakupovic, Elder, Ndukwo.
Booking: Maguire (65 – foul).
Referee: S. Martin.
Attendance: 11,953.
