Wolves secure late draw against Blackburn in Championship opener

By Joel Kavanagh — 14 August 2026 — 3 min read

Jiménez Secures Point for Wolves

Wolverhampton Wanderers began their return to the Championship with a 2-2 draw against Blackburn Rovers at Molineux. The match saw Raúl Jiménez, making his second appearance for Wolves, convert a penalty in the 93rd minute to salvage a point for his side.

The penalty decision came after Jackson Tchatchoua’s cross struck the arm of Ryan Alebiosu. While the incident occurred in the box, Blackburn’s head coach, Tony Mowbray, expressed his belief that the decision was harsh, citing conflicting angles on whether Alebiosu was inside or outside the area. This marked Jiménez’s first goal for Wolves in 1,311 days.

Jiménez, who had a late start to pre-season following his participation in the World Cup with Mexico, came off the bench to make a significant impact. César Peixoto, Wolves’ new head coach, highlighted Jiménez’s importance to the team, noting his ability to score and create goals. Peixoto also mentioned the need to manage Jiménez’s playing time carefully due to his age and recent World Cup involvement.

The atmosphere at Molineux was initially optimistic, with fans showing renewed faith in the team’s direction. Jiménez had previously shown his appreciation to supporters by buying scarves for those in the South Bank, a gesture that resonated with the fanbase.

Blackburn’s Strong Performance

Blackburn Rovers provided a challenging test for Wolves, taking the lead twice in the match. Marshall Munetsi opened the scoring for Wolves in the 18th minute, converting a pass from Fer López. Munetsi, returning to Molineux after a loan spell, finished with his left foot, contributing to the positive start for Wolves.

However, Blackburn quickly responded. Sean McLoughlin equalised in the 28th minute, heading in a cross from Ryoya Morishita. This goal came after Blackburn exploited gaps in Wolves’ defence, a consequence of Peixoto’s high-press tactics which sometimes left the team vulnerable during transitions.

Early in the second half, Blackburn took the lead through Andri Gudjohnsen in the 48th minute. Gudjohnsen connected with a cross from Oladapo Afolayan, giving the visitors a surprise advantage. Peixoto acknowledged that his team lost organisation and played with emotion rather than strategy after conceding, calling it a lesson for future matches.

Despite Blackburn’s strong performance, Wolves continued to push for an equaliser. Mateus Mane and Armstrong both had shots that went wide, and Munetsi was denied a second goal when his shot was deflected. The pressure from Wolves eventually led to the late penalty, which Jiménez converted.

Team Line-ups and Substitutions

The match saw several changes for both teams. For Wolves, the starting line-up included Bentley, Trippier, Mosquera, Toti, Wolfe, Andre, Munetsi, R Gomes, Lopez, Mane, and Armstrong. Substitutions for Wolves included Jiménez for Mane in the 60th minute, Tchatchoua for Trippier and Doyle for R Gomes in the 67th minute, and Lima for Wolfe and Chirewa for Andre in the 79th minute.

Blackburn’s starting XI featured Hoth, Alebiosu, Atcheson, McLoughlin, Pickering, Forshaw, Montgomery, Morishita, Cantwell, Afolayan, and Gudjohnsen. Blackburn made their first substitution in the 55th minute, with Morsy replacing Forshaw. Later changes included Ohashi for Cantwell and Fevrier for Afolayan in the 68th minute, followed by Ribeiro for Morishita and Garrett for Gudjohnsen in the 79th minute.

The draw marks the first match for Wolves in the second tier after their relegation from the Premier League, and it was also Tony Mowbray’s first game in charge of Blackburn since his return to the club.

Source: bbc.co.uk