Forest's Striker Scores Twice as Nottingham Forest Conclude European Campaign with Win over Ferencvaros
At a Glance
- The home side were previously qualified to the knockout round.
- Bence Otvos deflection gives Nottingham Forest a opening period lead.
- Igor Jesus' European strike puts the team in control.
- Forward nets again with a sharp finish in the latter period.
- The midfielder rounds off a excellent display with a penalty.
The Brazilian attacker found the net on two occasions as the Premier League side rounded off the league phase of the European competition with a comfortable win against their Hungarian visitors at the City Ground.
The hosts had previously guaranteed a berth in the next qualifying round and entered this game with a slim possibility of reaching the top eight, even though they needed other matches to fall in their favor.
Those results failed to materialize but this assured display will give Forest fans belief that their side can navigate the two-legged play-off to advance to the last 16.
A Ferencvaros midfielder struck the upright with a headed effort inside the first 10 minutes for the visitors – who are managed by former Tottenham striker Robbie Keane – but it was dominantly the home side from that point forward.
They opened the scoring in the 17th minute when Ryan Yates' cross was turned into his own net by the defender and added a second four minutes later – the striker firing an effort in at the far post for his 10th goal of the season.
The forward's 11th arrived soon after the restart when he timed a run perfectly to escape the backline and then drive an effort past the goalkeeper.
That goal killed off the visitors' aspirations of mounting a recovery and instead the hosts scored again when the impressive McAtee converted a penalty after a infringement by the unfortunate Bence Otvos inside the box on Dan Ndoye.
The Europa League knockout phase play-off draw takes place on the final Friday of January (midday UK time), where Forest could be drawn against either the Turkish side or the Greek club.
"It is not just the result, there was that feel about it. I want these players to do collectively well, the entire team," said Forest boss Sean Dyche.
"This is another step, but it is a positive one."
Team Breakdown: Jesus Catches Eye as Recent Arrival Observes from Stands
Jesus has been a revelation for Forest in European competition this term with half of his 11 goals scored in the tournament.
This double also means he has got a trio of strikes in his previous two outings and the prospect of a challenge for his place in attack could be providing motivation.
Napoli striker Lorenzo Lucca was recently signed on loan and he was watching this match from the stands.
That may well have been on Jesus' mind as he was impressive against the opposition, producing two superb finishes and overall being a constant threat to the visitors' defence with his pace and movement.
Jesus was not the only one in impressing, with James McAtee turning in his finest display in a Forest jersey since joining from Manchester City last summer, while the Swiss international also impressed.
These encouraging performances will give the club some fresh hope as they turn their attention to pulling further away from the Premier League relegation zone when they welcome their London rivals on Sunday.
"The minimum requirement is a response," added Dyche.
"I've never questioned their work ethic or their loyalty or honesty. It is just about displaying your quality.
"McAtee was very good and Dan was incredibly lively. Jesus got another couple and these are good signs."
Star Performer
#19 Igor Jesus
Match rating: 9.10
Forest Key Performers
- Igor Jesus: Rating 9.1
- J. McAtee: Average Rating 8.8
- #22: Average Rating 8.63
- I. Sangaré: Average Rating 8.01
- #31: Average Rating 7.94
The Visitors Notable Players
- B. Yusuf: Rating 4.14
- Júlio Romão: Average Rating 4.1
- K. Zachariassen: Rating 4.09
After the opportunity to submit ratings has closed, the score shown represents the average from all the votes.
