Young Boys 0 Wolves 4 – Five talking points

Goals from Ivan Cavaleiro, Helder Costa, Leo Bonatini and Rafa Mir saw Nuno Espirito Santo's team run out convincing winners.

It means they've won their first two pre-season games of the summer – both against Champions League opposition.

But what did we learn from the game? Wolves correspondent Tim Spiers picks out five talking points.

Men against Young Boys

Young Boys won the Swiss league title by a mammoth 15 points last season and are two games away from being in the Champions League group stages this season.

Their league campaign begins next weekend and they selected a full strength team here...and Wolves thrashed them.

Not only that, they did so with players who are nowhere near their peak fitness level, plus a host of star names were absent (Diogo Jota, Barry Douglas and new signings Rui Patricio and Raul Jimenez).

If Nuno had given an interview on this tour he'd have no doubt played down the significance of the two results Wolves have registered.

Yes pre-season is primarily about fitness and performance...but goodness me this was a deeply impressive victory that bodes very well for the weeks and months ahead.

Wolves had chances to make this result look even more spectacular than it does, with Bright Enobakhare and Helder Costa both spurning one-on-one opportunities.

A 4-0 win will do their confidence the world of good, while the performance in keeping a clean sheet and carving out several opportunities was eye-catching.

Goals for the goal-shy

Rafa Mir scored against Basel and he was at it again here.

There's a chance the young Spaniard may get nowhere near Wolves' first team this season, with Raul Jimenez and Leo Bonatini ahead of him in the pecking order.

But he's done his chances no harm this week and after what's probably been a difficult first six months in English football he looks to be finding his feet.

Talking of Bonatini, his last goal for the first team came in December.

This may only have been a friendly but the Brazilian needed that goal. His bright and breezy link-up play – which went missing along with his confidence towards the end of last season – has returned (he set up Cavaleiro's opener) and he's been forging his way into some excellent goalscoring positions.

His goal was well-taken and Nuno will hope it sets him off on a bit of a streak. The Bonatini that plundered 12 goals in five months at the start of 2017/18 would be a valuable asset in the Premier League.

Gibbs-White stakes his claim

It's easy to forget Morgan Gibbs-White is just 18 years old.

The teenager was instrumental in this win having been handed a licence to career forward and support the front three – one he utilised with wild abandon.

Against much stronger opposition in the Premier League it's unlikely Nuno will want one of his central midfielders to regularly vacate the middle third of the pitch, but Gibbs-White can be a very useful option in a more attack-minded line-up.

He set up Bonatini's goal with a piercing through ball and carved out two more good opportunities when breaking beyond the Young Boys midfield.

Far from making up the numbers as a promising youngster, Gibbs-White is hinting that he could be able to realise his potential sooner rather than later – and make a genuine impact in the Premier League.

At the very least you can envisage him starting cup games again this season (the Carabao, FA and Checkatrade competitions could offer 10 games for Wolves' fringe players to start) but unless Wolves sign a couple of top class central midfielders (which of course they might) then Gibbs-White could be a firm fixture in the matchday 18.

He's certainly an example to the next generation coming through, such as Ryan Giles and Elliot Watt who again impressed here with tidy and disciplined displays.

And with 18 months of being in and around the first team group under his belt, Gibbs-White is starting to look like he belongs there.

Cavaleiro at it again

Ivan Cavaleiro was the standout performer of Wolves' pre-season a year ago and he's at it again this summer.

It would be unfair to produce player ratings for pre-season games that are primarily about building up fitness, but Cavaleiro would be an 8/10 for both Swiss matches.

Here he opened the scoring with a smart first-time finish with his right foot and then set up the impressive Helder Costa for the second with a forceful run from midfield and a slipped pass through the defence.

On his day Cavaleiro is arguably Wolves' most explosive attacking threat. Inconsistency has often been his bugbear but if he turns it on in the Premier League then Wolves have a big star on their hands.

Most eyes will be on Neves and Jota this season, who neutrals would no-doubt consider to be the standout talents in this team. Well perhaps this will be Cavaleiro's year.

Well on track

It's been a near flawless week for Wolves.

They've beaten two high class teams with convincing performances, their untried youngsters have all made an impact, there have been individual displays of real quality, six goals have been scored and the team look assured and organised in their tried-and-tested 3-4-3 formation.

The facilities in Switzerland have been top drawer, too.

The only negatives have been minor knocks for Diogo Jota and Barry Douglas, who had to sit this win out.

Aside from that Nuno will have absolutely no complaints – and they've got a nice big shiny trophy to take home with them too.

Compared to last summer Wolves look a step ahead in their preparations, with the system and style of play now second nature rather than something new, and their fitness levels higher after an off-summer of back-breaking runs.

They now have a month to get up to match fitness and sharpness and get into a rhythm ahead of the big kick off on August 11.

Pre-season has begun in perfect fashion.