Wolves host Port Vale at Molineux to open season in Carabao Cup first round

Wolverhampton Wanderers host Port Vale at Molineux on Friday evening in the first round of the Carabao Cup, a tie that, according to reports, opens Wolves' 2026/27 season. Both clubs arrive after difficult campaigns. Wolves are said to have finished bottom of their division in 2025/26 and been relegated from the Premier League, returning them to the Championship. Port Vale, too, were reportedly relegated last season; the 2024–25 campaign was their 113th and their first back in League Two since 2021–22, following their drop from League One. The fixture carries weight beyond a routine cup tie. Port Vale manager Jon Brady has framed it as a chance to measure his side's progress since last season, describing it as no sterner test. The Wolves boss, meanwhile, has warned against complacency, calling it a dangerous game, while Dan Bentley has urged his teammates to start the season by building a winning habit.

Wolves open 2026/27 season with Molineux cup tie

Wolverhampton Wanderers welcome Port Vale to Molineux on Friday evening in the first round of the Carabao Cup. According to reports, the tie opens Wolves' 2026/27 campaign, making it their first competitive fixture of the new season.

The match carries added significance for the hosts. Reports indicate Wolves were relegated from the Premier League in 2025/26, finishing bottom of their division, and will compete in the Championship this term. Friday's cup tie is therefore set to be their first match as a Championship club, a new chapter for a side adjusting to life outside the top flight.

For Port Vale, the trip to Molineux offers an early test against higher-league opposition. The visitors spent the 2024–25 season in League Two, their 113th campaign, having been relegated from League One.

Viewing information for the fixture, including television channel, radio coverage and kick-off time, has been published by Radio Times.

Port Vale's road back through the divisions

Port Vale make the trip to Molineux after a difficult campaign of their own. The 2024–25 season was the club's 113th and their first back in League Two since 2021–22, following relegation from League One. According to reports, both clubs were relegated from their respective divisions last season, meaning Friday's tie brings together two sides looking to rebuild after demotion.

The Valiants have moved between the third and fourth tiers for much of their recent history. The 2013–14 campaign, their 102nd in the English Football League, was their first back in League One after promotion from League Two — a pattern of ascent and descent that has continued in the years since.

Brady sees a measuring stick; Wolves boss warns of danger

Port Vale manager Jon Brady has framed the tie as an opportunity to gauge how far his side has come. According to reports, Brady described the trip to Molineux as a chance to see how the Valiants have progressed since last season, and called it no sterner test for his players.

The Wolves boss, who is not named in the sources, struck a more cautious note ahead of the fixture. Warning against complacency, he said: "I think it's a dangerous game because Port Vale is going to play against Wolves, a big team, and we have to manage our motivation to play against this kind of team." His full remarks are truncated in the source material, so the complete context of his warning is not known. What is clear is that he views the visit of a side with nothing to lose as a potential trap, and has told his players their attitude will be tested as much as their ability.

Winning habits and a fanbase's nerves

Dan Bentley has called on Wolves to begin the campaign by building a winning habit, starting with the cup tie against Port Vale, according to reports. The message is clear: treat the opening fixture as the first step in setting the tone for the season ahead.

The mood among the club's supporters appears similarly charged. Television presenter and Wolves fan Suzi Perry said she feels both excited and nervous ahead of the new Championship season, a sentiment likely shared across the Molineux terraces after a difficult year.

For those unable to attend, Radio Times has published viewing information for the first-round tie, including details of the TV channel, radio coverage and kick-off time, though the specific broadcast arrangements were not confirmed in the sources available.

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