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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
James Nursey

Raul Jimenez's Champions League message as Wolves bid to gatecrash top four

Raul Jimenez has urged Wolves to “dream big” as they try to overhaul Manchester United in the race for Champions League qualification.

Wanderers' Mexican striker Jimenez notched his 24th goal of the season in all competitions in the 1-0 win over Bournemouth.

He has scored back post headers in both Wolves' wins since the re-start ahead of visiting struggling Aston Villa on Saturday.

Nuno Espirito Santo's side are sixth, level on points with United, with the top five potentially qualifying for the Champions League next term as Manchester City face a ban.

Jimenez has urged his team-mates to keep up the pressure on the bigger teams ahead of them.

Jimenez, 29, said: “We have to dream big and keep going like this.

Jimenez celebrates his winner vs Bournemouth with Ruben Neves (Getty Images)

“We want nine points from nine this week, so we have to go there with all that we have to win that game and that’s all that we have to think about.”

Jimenez was again teed up by Wolves flyer Adama Traore after he assisted him at West Ham with an almost identical move, whipping over a deep right-footed cross.

It was the tenth occasion the pair have combined for a top-flight goal this season.

Jimenez, Wolves' all-time leading scorer in the Premier League, admitted: “It’s all about the training sessions.

“We work on this kind of thing, with these kinds of crosses, and we know where we’re going to be.

Jimenez powers his header into the Bournemouth net (Getty Images)

“We talk before the games, before the training sessions, and I know he’s going to get the cross into the box, so I have to be there to score.

“It’s amazing. Sometimes it works very well with some of your team-mates.

“I’m happy to be scoring, to be the goalscorer, and very happy for Adama.

“All of us together want to keep going like this and it doesn’t matter who scores, who assists.”

Bournemouth tried to contain Traore by sometimes putting as many as three players on him.

But the star still got over several crosses by accelerating on the outside and curling the ball in with his right-foot.

Traore, 24, who has nine top-flight assists, said: “I am trying to do my best to help the team to assist and score.”

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