Forest's Striker Fires Twice as The Reds Conclude European Group Stage with Victory over Ferencvaros
At a Glance
- The home side were already through to the play-offs.
- A Ferencvaros defender own goal gives Nottingham Forest a opening period lead.
- Igor Jesus' fifth goal in Europe puts the team in control.
- Striker nets again with a sharp finish in the latter period.
- The midfielder rounds off a excellent display with a spot-kick.
The Brazilian attacker found the net on two occasions as the Premier League side concluded the league phase of the Europa League with a convincing win against their Hungarian visitors at the City Ground.
The hosts had already secured a place in the next qualifying round and went into this fixture with a slim possibility of making the top eight, even though they needed other matches to fall in their favor.
Those results failed to materialize but this assured performance will give the supporters belief that their side can come through the home-and-away tie to reach the round of sixteen.
A Ferencvaros midfielder did hit the upright with a header inside the first 10 minutes for the away team – coached by former Tottenham striker Robbie Keane – but it was dominantly the home side from that point forward.
Forest opened the scoring in the 17th minute when Ryan Yates' cross was turned into his own net by Bence Otvos and added a second shortly after – the striker squeezing a shot in at the back post for his 10th goal of the campaign.
Jesus' 11th came early in the second half when he made a perfectly-timed run to break clear of the defence and then drive an effort beyond the goalkeeper.
That goal ended the visitors' aspirations of making a comeback and instead the hosts scored again when the excellent McAtee converted a penalty after a infringement by the unfortunate Bence Otvos inside the box on the winger.
Europe's secondary club competition qualifying round draw takes place on the final Friday of January (midday UK time), where Forest might face either Fenerbahce or the Greek club.
"It is not just the scoreline, there was that feel about it. I want these players to do collectively well, the whole squad," said manager Sean Dyche.
"This is another stride forward, but it is a positive step."
Team Breakdown: Striker Shines as New Signing Watches On
Igor Jesus has been a standout performer for Forest in European competition this term with half of his 11 goals scored in the Europa League.
His brace also means he has scored a trio of strikes in his previous two outings and the threat of competition for his position in attack could be spurring him on.
Italian forward Lorenzo Lucca was last week signed on loan and he was watching this match from the directors' box.
That may well have been on the striker's mind as he was impressive against Ferencvaros, delivering two superb goals and generally being a menace to the visitors' defence with his pace and runs.
The forward was not the only one in catching the eye, with James McAtee turning in his best performance in a Forest jersey since signing from Manchester City last summer, while the Swiss international also performed well.
These encouraging performances will give Forest some fresh hope as they switch focus to increasing the gap from the bottom three when they host their London rivals on Sunday.
"All you can ask for is a reaction," added the manager.
"I have always trusted their commitment or their dedication or honesty. It is just go and show your ability.
"James was very good and Dan was super sharp. Jesus got another two and these are good signs."
Star Performer
#19 The Striker
Average rating: 9.1
Forest Top Players
- Igor Jesus: Average Rating 9.10
- J. McAtee: Average Rating 8.75
- #22: Rating 8.6
- #6: Average Rating 8.0
- N. Milenković: Rating 7.9
Ferencváros Notable Players
- B. Yusuf: Average Rating 4.14
- Júlio Romão: Average Rating 4.12
- K. Zachariassen: Average Rating 4.1
Once the chance to submit ratings has closed, the score displayed represents the average from all the votes.
