In a thrilling season opener at Molineux, returning hero Raúl Jiménez salvaged a point for Wolves with a dramatic late goal, leading to a 2-2 draw against Blackburn in the Championship.
The Mexican striker scored a penalty in the third minute of stoppage time after Ryan Alebiosu was penalized for handling Jackson Tchatchoua’s cross.
– Wolves 2-2 Blackburn: Match Summary
For much of the match, it appeared Blackburn would secure all three points, with Sean McLoughlin leveling the score after Marshall Munetsi’s opener in the 18th minute, followed by Andri Gudjohnsen giving Rovers the lead early in the second half.
Jiménez, making his first league appearance for Wolves in three years following a free transfer from Fulham, entered to applause from the crowd.
“I have confidence in Raul for penalties; he’s one of the first I would choose. He is vital for us, bringing essential experience,” said new Wolves head coach Cesar Peixoto. “He played a huge role in that moment.”
However, Peixoto, in his first league match in English football, faced challenges as his team trailed for much of the second half until Jiménez’s late equalizer.
“The players were working hard, but we lost our shape. We needed to remain patient and stick to our game plan,” Peixoto explained. “Raúl is still finding his rhythm after returning late from the World Cup, but he’s crucial for our squad.”
Blackburn initially threatened when Alebiosu’s deep cross found Oladapo Afolayan, whose header just missed the target.
Alebiosu then set up Ryoya Morishita, who tested Wolves’ goalkeeper Dan Bentley with a low shot directly at him.
Wolves took advantage seconds later, opening the scoring as new addition Kieran Trippier connected with Fernando López, who delivered a precise pass to Munetsi. The Zimbabwe international calmly slotted the ball past keeper Balazs Hoth for the season’s first league goal.
However, Wolves’ lead was short-lived, as McLoughlin equalized just ten minutes later with a well-placed header from Morishita’s delivery.
Hoth caused a scare by struggling to deal with a Trippier corner, narrowly averting disaster as the ball headed towards his own net.
López and Matheus Mane attempted long-range efforts but failed to trouble Hoth further.
Blackburn started the second half strongly, with Gudjohnsen putting them ahead in the 48th minute after beating Yerson Mosquera to Afolayan’s cross.
Afolayan continued to be a threat, nearly extending their lead as Wolves struggled to rediscover their rhythm.
Both teams made substitutions, attempting to breathe life into a scrappy second half. Despite some promising play, when Jiménez set up Tommy Doyle, the latter shot high and wide.
As the game progressed, Wolves appeared depleted of ideas and energy until Jiménez’s last-minute intervention brought them back to level terms.
The 35-year-old demonstrated composure, outsmarting Hoth to score the equalizer from the spot.
PA contributed to this report.