Igor Jesus Fires Twice as The Reds Round Off Europa League Campaign with Victory over Hungarian Opponents
At a Glance
- The home side were already through to the play-offs.
- A Ferencvaros defender deflection gives Nottingham Forest a first-half lead.
- Igor Jesus' 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 penalty.
The Brazilian attacker scored twice as the Premier League side rounded off the league phase of the Europa League with a convincing win against Ferencvaros at the home stadium.
Forest had already secured a place in the next qualifying round and went into this fixture with a small chance of reaching the top eight, even though they needed other matches to fall in their favor.
That did not happen but this assured display will give Forest fans confidence that their team can navigate the home-and-away tie to reach the last 16.
A Ferencvaros midfielder did hit the upright with a headed effort inside the first 10 minutes for the visitors – coached by ex-Premier League forward Robbie Keane – but it was dominantly the home side from that point forward.
They broke the deadlock in the early stages when Ryan Yates' cross was deflected in by Bence Otvos and doubled the lead shortly after – Jesus 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 place a shot past the shot-stopper.
The third strike killed off the visitors' hopes of mounting a recovery and instead the hosts added a fourth when the excellent James McAtee scored from a spot-kick after a foul by the hapless Otvos inside the penalty area on Dan Ndoye.
The Europa League qualifying round draw takes place on the final Friday of January (12:00 GMT), where Nottingham Forest could be drawn against 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 entire team," said Forest boss Sean Dyche.
"That was another stride forward, but it is a good one."
Team Breakdown: Jesus Catches Eye as New Signing Watches On
Igor Jesus has been a revelation for Forest in European competition this season with six of his eleven strikes coming in the tournament.
His brace also means he has scored a trio of strikes in his last two games and the threat of competition for his position in attack could be spurring him on.
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 Ferencvaros, delivering two superb finishes and generally being a menace to the visitors' defence with his pace and movement.
The forward was not alone in impressing, with McAtee producing his finest display in a Nottingham Forest shirt since joining from Manchester City in the previous transfer window, while the Swiss international also performed well.
These encouraging performances will give Forest some renewed optimism as they turn their attention to increasing the gap from the bottom three when they host Crystal Palace on the weekend.
"The minimum requirement is a reaction," added Dyche.
"I have always trusted their commitment or their loyalty or integrity. It is just go and show your ability.
"James was very good and Dan was super sharp. Igor got another two and these are positive indicators."
Star Performer
#19 The Striker
Match rating: 9.10
Forest Top Players
- #19: Rating 9.10
- J. McAtee: Average Rating 8.8
- #22: Rating 8.6
- #6: Rating 8.0
- #31: Rating 7.94
The Visitors Notable Players
- B. Yusuf: Rating 4.14
- Júlio Romão: Average Rating 4.1
- #16: Rating 4.1
After the opportunity to submit ratings has closed, the score shown represents the average from all the votes.
