Igor Jesus Fires a Brace as The Reds Round Off Europa League Campaign with Victory over Ferencvaros
At a Glance
- Forest were already through to the knockout round.
- Bence Otvos own goal gives Nottingham Forest a opening period lead.
- The striker's fifth goal in Europe puts Forest in control.
- Forward nets again with a clinical effort in the second half.
- James McAtee caps a excellent display with a spot-kick.
Igor Jesus found the net on two occasions as the Premier League side concluded the group stage of the European competition with a convincing triumph against Ferencvaros at the home stadium.
The hosts had already secured a berth in the next qualifying round and went into this fixture with a slim possibility of making the top eight, even though they needed several results to go their way.
Those results failed to materialize but this confident display will give Forest fans confidence that their team can come through the home-and-away tie to reach the last 16.
A Ferencvaros midfielder struck the upright with a header inside the first 10 minutes for the visitors – coached by former Tottenham striker Robbie Keane – but it was dominantly the home side from that point forward.
Forest broke the deadlock in the early stages when a delivery from midfield was deflected in by the defender and doubled the lead shortly after – the striker squeezing a shot in at the far post for his tenth strike of the season.
The forward's 11th came early in the second half when he made a perfectly-timed run to break clear of the defence and then place a shot beyond the shot-stopper.
The third strike killed off the visitors' hopes of mounting a recovery and instead Forest scored again when the impressive James McAtee converted a spot-kick after a infringement by the hapless Otvos inside the box on the winger.
The Europa League qualifying round lottery is scheduled on Friday, 30 January (midday UK time), where Nottingham Forest could be drawn against either the Turkish side or the Greek club.
"It's more than the result, there was that atmosphere about it. I want these guys to do collectively well, the entire team," said Forest boss Sean Dyche.
"That was another step, but it is a positive step."
Team Breakdown: Jesus Catches Eye as Recent Arrival Observes from Stands
Igor Jesus has been a revelation for Nottingham Forest in European competition this term with half of his 11 goals scored in the tournament.
This double also means he has got three goals in his previous two outings and the prospect of competition 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 observing this match from the directors' box.
This development may well have been on the striker's thoughts as he was impressive against the opposition, delivering two excellent finishes and generally being a menace to the visitors' defence with his pace and runs.
The forward was not alone in impressing, with McAtee producing his finest display in a Forest jersey since joining from Manchester City in the previous transfer window, while Dan Ndoye also impressed.
These encouraging performances will give the club some renewed optimism as they turn their attention to pulling further away from the bottom three when they welcome their London rivals on the weekend.
"The minimum requirement is a response," added the manager.
"I've never questioned their work ethic or their dedication or honesty. It is just about displaying your ability.
"McAtee was very good and Dan Ndoye was super sharp. Igor got another two and these are positive indicators."
Player of the Match
Number: 19 Igor Jesus
Average rating: 9.10
Forest Top Players
- #19: Rating 9.10
- #24: Rating 8.75
- R. Yates: Rating 8.6
- #6: Rating 8.01
- N. Milenković: Average Rating 7.9
Ferencváros Notable Players
- #11: Rating 4.14
- Júlio Romão: Average Rating 4.12
- #16: Rating 4.1
Once the chance to rate players has closed, the score shown is the mean from all the submissions.
