Ivan Cavaleiro, Helder Costa and Leo Bonatini all opened their accounts for the season, whilst Rafa Mir rounded off the scoring moments from the end, in a very professional performance in the searing summer sun of Bern, Switzerland.
Nuno opted to start with a very strong XI - Ryan Giles the only youngster in a team made up of regular starters from the 2017/18 Sky Bet Championship title winning campaign.
Costa was presented with the first real opportunity when he was released in behind the Young Boys defence. The forward cut inside and opted to side-foot across the keeper, but his effort was too easily parried by David Von Ballmoos.
Cavaleiro broke the deadlock on 26 minutes after some excellent work from Bonatini. The Brazilian took control of the ball in the Young Boys half, shrugged off attempted tackles from three defenders before laying the ball into the path of Cavaleiro, who finished from close range.
Minutes later Costa doubled the lead. Cavaleiro turned provider with an inch-perfect through ball, helping his compatriot beat the offside trap, before dinking cooly over the onrushing Von Ballmoos.
As half time approached, Wolves couldn’t add to their tally despite a period of complete domination against the Swiss Super League side, who start their competitive season next weekend. Cavaleiro’s effort from the edge of the box cleared the bar, whilst Morgan Gibbs-White’s cheeky through ball was just too heavy for the Portuguese forward to latch onto.
With only two changes at the break, Nuno’s side re-emerged for the second half in the same rhythm and nearly struck immediately, but a surging run down the right by Gibbs-White went unrewarded. The young international’s cross was met by Bonatini, but his effort was steered onto the bar and bounced away to safety.
However, minutes later the two combined to create Wolves’ third. Neves, under pressure in his own half, found Gibbs-White, who played a perfect through ball to Bonatini. Nuno’s latest permanent signing still had work to do though, and took some neat touches away from the back-tracking defence before sliding it passed the Young Boys stopper.
Giles saw his cross glanced wide of the post by Matt Doherty, while Costa put one just over the crossbar, before wholesale changes were made on 65 minutes.
The intensity of Wolves’ play didn’t drop with the younger players introduced, and Cameron John’s teasing ball across the box was only just hooked clear by Gregory Wuthrich.
Bright Enobakhare looked lively after missing the first Uhrencup tie, and found the side netting after some neat footwork allowed him a shot from a tight angle in a crowded box.
Benny Ashley-Seal provided John with perhaps the best chance of the game, but the impressive youngster, playing in a more advanced role, was thwarted one on one by Von Ballmoos.
But it was Mir who completed the rout, rounding the keeper not once, but twice, in the last minute of the game to send Nuno’s side home from Switzerland with the Uhrencup.
Wolves first half: John Ruddy (Norris 45 (Sondergaard 82)); Ryan Bennett, Conor Coady, Willy Boly (Hause 65); Matt Doherty (Batth 65), Morgan Gibbs-White (Goncalves 65), Ruben Neves (Watt 65), Ryan Giles (John 65); Helder Costa (Mir 65), Leo Bonatini (Ashley-Seal 65), Ivan Cavaleiro (Enobakhare 45).
Wolves goals: Cavaleiro 26, Costa 30, Bonatini 54, Mir 89.
Attendance: 3,467
