Forest's Striker Fires a Brace as Nottingham Forest Round Off Europa League Group Stage with Win over Ferencvaros
Match Summary
- The home side were previously qualified to the play-offs.
- Bence Otvos own goal gives hosts a first-half lead.
- The striker's fifth goal in Europe puts Forest in control.
- Forward nets again with a clinical effort in the second half.
- The midfielder caps a great performance with a penalty.
The Brazilian attacker found the net on two occasions as Nottingham Forest rounded off the group stage of the Europa League with a comfortable triumph against their Hungarian visitors at the City Ground.
Forest had previously guaranteed a berth in the next qualifying round and entered this fixture with a slim possibility of making the top eight, although they needed other matches to go their way.
Those results failed to materialize but this confident display will give Forest fans confidence that their team can navigate the two-legged play-off to reach the round of sixteen.
Kristoffer Zachariassen did hit the upright with a header inside the first 10 minutes for the away team – coached by ex-Premier League forward Robbie Keane – but it was dominantly the home side from then on.
Forest opened the scoring in the 17th minute when a delivery from midfield was deflected in by the defender and doubled the lead four minutes later – Jesus firing an effort in at the far post for his tenth strike of the season.
The forward's eleventh goal arrived early in the second half when he timed a run perfectly to break clear of the defence and then place a shot past the goalkeeper.
The third strike ended Ferencvaros' aspirations of making a comeback and instead Forest scored again when the excellent James McAtee scored from a spot-kick after a foul by the unfortunate Otvos inside the box on the winger.
The Europa League qualifying round lottery takes place on Friday, 30 January (midday UK time), where Forest might face either the Turkish side or Panathinaikos.
"It is not just the scoreline, there was that feel 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 one."
Forest Analysis: Striker Shines as Recent Arrival Watches On
Igor Jesus has been a revelation for Forest in European competition this term with six of his eleven strikes coming in the tournament.
His brace also means he has scored three goals in his last two games and the prospect of a challenge for his position in the forward line could be spurring him on.
Napoli striker Lorenzo Lucca was last week signed on loan and he was watching this game from the directors' box.
That may well have been on Jesus' mind as he was outstanding against Ferencvaros, producing two excellent finishes and generally being a constant threat to the opposition backline with his speed and runs.
Jesus was not alone in catching the eye, with James McAtee producing 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 Forest some fresh hope as they switch focus to pulling further away from the Premier League relegation zone when they welcome Crystal Palace on Sunday.
"All you can ask for is a reaction," added Dyche.
"I've never questioned their work ethic or their dedication or integrity. It is just about displaying your ability.
"James was excellent and Dan Ndoye was super sharp. Jesus got another two and these are good signs."
Player of the Match
#19 Igor Jesus
Average rating: 9.10
Forest Top Players
- #19: Rating 9.10
- #24: Average Rating 8.8
- R. Yates: Rating 8.63
- #6: Average Rating 8.01
- N. Milenković: Average Rating 7.94
Ferencváros Notable Players
- B. Yusuf: Rating 4.1
- #66: Average Rating 4.1
- K. Zachariassen: Average Rating 4.1
After the opportunity to rate players has ended, the score displayed represents the average from all the submissions.
