Forest's Striker Scores a Brace as The Reds Round Off European Campaign with Win over Ferencvaros
Match Summary
- The home side were already through to the play-offs.
- Bence Otvos own goal gives Nottingham Forest a first-half lead.
- Igor Jesus' fifth goal in Europe puts Forest in command.
- Forward adds a third with a sharp finish in the second half.
- The midfielder caps a great display with a spot-kick.
The Brazilian attacker scored twice as Nottingham Forest rounded off the league phase of the European competition with a convincing triumph against Ferencvaros at the City Ground.
The hosts had previously guaranteed a berth in the next qualifying round and entered this game with a small chance of making the league's elite, although they needed other matches to go their way.
That did not happen but this confident display will give Forest fans confidence that their team can navigate the two-legged play-off to advance to the last 16.
A Ferencvaros midfielder did hit the upright with a header inside the opening stages for the away team – coached by former Tottenham striker Robbie Keane – but it was dominantly the home side from then on.
They broke the deadlock in the 17th minute when a delivery from midfield was turned into his own net by the defender and added a second four minutes later – Jesus squeezing a shot in at the back post for his tenth strike of the campaign.
The forward's eleventh goal came early in the second half when he made a perfectly-timed run to escape the backline and then drive an effort past the shot-stopper.
That goal killed off the visitors' aspirations of making a comeback and instead the hosts scored again when the excellent James McAtee scored from a penalty after a infringement by the unfortunate Otvos inside the box on Dan Ndoye.
The Europa League knockout phase play-off lottery takes place on Friday, 30 January (12:00 GMT), where Nottingham Forest might face either Fenerbahce or Panathinaikos.
"It's more than the scoreline, there was that atmosphere about it. I want these players to do collectively well, the whole squad," said Forest boss Sean Dyche.
"This is another step, but it is a positive step."
Team Breakdown: Jesus Catches Eye as Recent Arrival Observes from Stands
Jesus has been a standout performer for Forest in Europe this term with six of his 11 goals coming in the tournament.
His brace also means he has scored three goals in his previous two outings and the prospect of a challenge for his place in attack could be providing motivation.
Italian forward Lorenzo Lucca was recently signed on loan and he was observing this match from the directors' box.
That may well have been on the striker's mind as he was outstanding against the opposition, producing two superb goals and overall being a menace to the opposition backline with his pace and runs.
Jesus was not alone in catching the eye, with McAtee turning in his best performance in a Nottingham Forest shirt since signing from Manchester City last summer, while Dan Ndoye also performed well.
These encouraging performances will give the club some fresh hope as they switch focus to increasing the gap from the bottom three when they host Crystal Palace on Sunday.
"The minimum requirement is a response," continued the manager.
"I've never questioned their commitment or their loyalty or integrity. It is just about displaying your quality.
"James was excellent and Dan was super sharp. Igor got another two and these are positive indicators."
Player of the Match
Number: 19 Igor Jesus
Match rating: 9.10
Forest Key Performers
- Igor Jesus: Rating 9.10
- J. McAtee: Average Rating 8.8
- #22: Rating 8.6
- I. Sangaré: Average Rating 8.0
- #31: Rating 7.94
Ferencváros Ratings
- B. Yusuf: Rating 4.1
- #66: Average Rating 4.1
- #16: Rating 4.1
After the opportunity to rate players has closed, the rating displayed is the mean from all the votes.
