Raul Jimenez targets Europa League trophy after firing Wolves into quarter-finals

Mexican’s penalty saw Nuno Espirito Santo’s side progress past Olympiakos on Thursday

Raul Jimenez believes Wolves should target Europa League glory after firing them into a quarter-final clash with Sevilla.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s side clinched a 1-0 win over Olympiakos at Molineux thanks to Jimenez’s eighth-minute penalty on Thursday to squeeze into the tournament’s one-off format in Germany with a 2-1 aggregate victory.

Wolves’ season has lasted over a year amid the coronavirus pandemic, but Jimenez called for them to keep going with silverware on the line.

“It feels amazing being in the quarter-finals,” Jimenez said. “We’ve had a long journey to be here, but now we have to face it knowing that it will be difficult, but we are playing for something and we want it.

“It’s very big. After our first year in the Premier League we learned a lot, we achieved the Europa League, now this year, we made more points in the Premier League and now we’re in the quarter-finals, we want it more.

“We want to keep going, keep doing this as we know and keep going like this.

“It’s a long, long season. We started last year and now we are here, still with the same players, still with the same rhythm, now we try to achieve big things and we know that we can do it.

“Now we have to go to Germany, be focused on what’s coming and then think about the next game.”

Jimenez hit his 27th goal of the season after goalkeeper Bobby Allain felled Daniel Podence, and the finish sent Wolves into the last eight of a European competition for the first time since 1972.

“This goal means everything. It’s everything we were going through for the whole season. Since the beginning we were training, we were working hard,” he said.

“We started the Europa League in the qualification rounds and have had a big, big season, but we have to keep going.”

Raul Jimenez calmly put Wolves in front against Olympiakos from the spot (Getty Images) (Getty)

Five-time winners Sevilla, who Wolves meet next, beat Roma 2-0 on Thursday and finished fourth in La Liga this season.

Wolves need to win the Europa League to qualify for the Champions League or they face no European football next season, but Jimenez is aware of the challenge they face in Duisburg on Tuesday.

He told the club’s official site: “We know it’s going to be tough, it’s going to be difficult. We know that they are a good team and they play good, but we play as a team, as a group, as a family, like we were playing all the season.

“They are a very good team, but I think we can achieve very good things, and we have very good players to face them.”

PA