Wolves will host Crystal Palace at the Molineux on Saturday, looking to return to winning ways after last week’s heavy defeat.
Wolves are up against a confident Crystal Palace outfit, and this will be a tough outing for the home side. Crystal Palace are in impressive form right now, and they have picked up four wins and a draw from their last five league matches.
The Eagles will be full of confidence and momentum heading into this game, especially after the heavy win over Manchester United. It will be interesting to see if they can continue their impressive run of form and grind out another win here.
Oliver Glasner will demand a strong showing from his players, and the Eagles will look to finish the season on a high. Crystal Palace picked up a 3-2 win over Wolves in the reverse fixture, and they will look to complete a league double over the Black Country outfit this season. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Wolves
Craig Dawson misses out with a groin injury, while Pedro Neto is lacking in match fitness, with the duo the only absentees for the home side. Meanwhile, Wolves are likely to shape up in a 4-1-4-1 formation against Crystal Palace, with Jose Sa in goal.
Nelson Semedo and Matt Doherty will start as the full-backs. They will look to contribute at both ends of the pitch here. Max Kilman will start in the central defensive partnership alongside Toti Gomes.
Boubacar Traore will start as the defensive midfielder, and he will look to protect the back four and keep things tight in the middle of the park. Hwang Hee-chan and Rayan Ait-Nouri will start in the wide areas. They will look to help out in the final third and shield the defence.
Mario Lemina and Joao Gomes will start as the attacking midfielders here. They will look to add creativity and control to the side. Finally, Matheus Cunha will lead the line for Wolves against Crystal Palace.
Probable Lineup (4-1-4-1): Sa; Semedo, Kilman, Toti Gomes, Doherty; Traore; Hwang, Joao Gomes, Lemina, Ait-Nouri; Cunha
Crystal Palace
Sam Johnstone misses out with an elbow injury, Cheick Doucoure has a calf problem, Marc Guehi is ruled out with a knee injury, Rob Holding has an ankle injury, Chris Richards has a knee problem, and Matheus Franca misses out with a groin injury.
Dean Henderson will start in goal for the Eagles here, as they shape up in a 3-4-2-1 formation. In the back three, Joel Ward will start alongside Joachim Andersen and Jefferson Lerma. Daniel Munoz and Tyrick Mitchell will start as the wing-backs. They will look to help out in the attack and protect the back three as well.
Adam Wharton and Will Hughes will start in the middle of the park, and they will look to control the tempo of the game. Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise should feature as the attacking midfielders, and they will create goalscoring opportunities in the final third. Finally, Jean-Philippe Mateta will spearhead the Crystal Palace attack against Wolves.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Henderson; Ward, Andersen, Lerma; Munoz, Wharton, Hughes, Mitchell; Eze, Olise; Mateta
Key Stats
- Crystal Palace have won five of their last six matches against Wolves in all competitions.
- Crystal Palace are undefeated in their last five matches in the Premier League.
- 15 goals have been scored in the last six matches between these two sides.
- Wolves have lost four of their last six matches in all competitions.
- Jean-Philippe Mateta has scored nine Premier League goals since Oliver Glasner became the Crystal Palace manager in February. Only Cole Palmer (11) and Alexander Isak (10) have been more prolific over the same period
Player to Watch
Michael Olise
The Crystal Palace winger is our key player to watch out for. The youngster has been in impressive form since returning from his injury layoff, and he scored a brace in his last game against Manchester United. The Frenchman will look to influence the game in the final third with his creativity and goals.
Olise has nine goals and four assists in 12 league starts this season, and he should be able to take advantage of the defensive vulnerabilities of Wolves. No wonder he is a hot property in the market ahead of the summer transfer window.
Prediction
Wolves 1-2 Crystal Palace
Wolves are going through a rough patch, and this will be a difficult contest for them. They will look to put up a fight at home, but the Molineux outfit are likely to fall short here. Crystal Palace have the form and momentum with them.
The Eagles have picked up impressive wins over Liverpool and Manchester United recently, and they should be able to complete a league double over Wolves. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for Oliver Glasner and his charges.
