Carlo Ancelotti might raise a quizzical, arched eyebrow if you were to ask him how worried he was about facing Chelsea on Wednesday night. He would then give you a perfectly polite response about how much respect he has for the club and how many quality players they have.
After all, Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole, now on the Chelsea bench, were his lieutenants during his time at Stamford Bridge. And anyway, Carlo being Carlo, he is never likely to say: ‘Frankly, Real Valladolid would give us a tougher test.’
Yet there it is. Wolves were excellent here on Saturday and tactically Julen Lopetgui’s 4-4-2, for the most part, baffled Lampard’s players.