Jota ready for Europa challenge

Diogo-Jota-Wolves-forward

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Wolves forward Jota is relishing the prospect of Europa League football next season as the Premier League outfit prepare for their first qualifier.

The Molineux outfit have not competed in Europe for nearly 40 years but there are plenty of players with experience of European football within the squad.

Jota has competed in the Champions League, while veteran midfielder Joao Moutinho has won the Europa League and has played over 100 games in European competitions across spells with Sporting Lisbon, Porto and Monaco. Jota believes experience will be vital for Wolves as they bid to make a mark in Europe.

“It’s special because I came to the club in the Championship and I’ve grown up with the club, so it’s a special moment to be back in a European competition, and for me because it’s my first time playing in the Europa League,” he told the club website.

“In the knockout stages with two legs, that’s unfamiliar, so it’s always tricky and you need some experience to deal with it. It’s a different game, when you know you’ve already got a result and you know a draw is enough, but normally if you play to draw, you lose so it’s a good thing to learn.

“We have people with a lot of experience and they know what it is. The manager [Nuno Espirito Santo] has experience, so I think we’ll go through to the group stage.”

Wolves will enter the second round of Europa League qualifying later this month. Wolves are 26.00 to win the Europa League outright, while Premier League rivals Manchester United are the current 6.00 favourites.

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