Forest's Striker Scores Twice as The Reds Round Off European Campaign with Victory over Ferencvaros
Match Summary
- The home side were already through to the knockout round.
- Bence Otvos own goal gives hosts a first-half lead.
- The striker's fifth goal in Europe puts Forest in command.
- Striker adds a third with a sharp finish in the second half.
- The midfielder caps a great performance with a penalty.
Igor Jesus found the net on two occasions as Nottingham Forest concluded the league phase of the European competition with a convincing win against Ferencvaros at the City Ground.
Forest had already secured a place in the next qualifying round and went into this game with a slim possibility of making the league's elite, even though they required several results to go their way.
That did not happen but this assured display will give the supporters belief that their side can navigate the two-legged play-off to advance to the round of sixteen.
Kristoffer Zachariassen did hit the post with a header inside the opening stages for the away team – who are managed by ex-Premier League forward Robbie Keane – but it was dominantly the home side from then on.
Forest broke the deadlock in the 17th minute when a delivery from midfield was turned into his own net by Bence Otvos and added a second shortly after – Jesus squeezing a shot in at the far post for his tenth strike of the season.
The forward's 11th came soon after the restart when he timed a run perfectly to escape the backline and then drive an effort beyond the goalkeeper.
The third strike ended Ferencvaros' hopes of mounting a recovery and instead Forest scored again when the excellent James McAtee converted a spot-kick after a foul by the hapless Bence Otvos inside the penalty area on the winger.
Europe's secondary club competition knockout phase play-off lottery takes place on the final Friday of January (12:00 GMT), where Forest might face either the Turkish side or Panathinaikos.
"It's more than the scoreline, there was that feel about it. I want these guys to do well as a unit, the entire team," said manager Sean Dyche.
"That was another stride forward, but it is a good one."
Forest Analysis: Jesus Catches Eye as New Signing Watches On
Igor Jesus has been a revelation for Nottingham Forest in Europe this term with six of his eleven strikes coming in the Europa League.
This double also means he has scored a trio of strikes in his last two games and the threat of competition for his position in the forward line could be spurring him on.
Italian forward Lorenzo Lucca was recently brought in temporarily and he was observing this game from the directors' box.
This development may well have been on Jesus' thoughts as he was outstanding against the opposition, delivering two superb finishes and overall being a menace to the opposition backline with his pace and runs.
The forward was not the only one in catching the eye, with James McAtee producing his best performance in a Nottingham Forest shirt since joining from the champions last summer, while the Swiss international also impressed.
Such positive showings will give Forest some fresh hope as they switch focus to increasing the gap from the Premier League relegation zone when they welcome Crystal Palace on the weekend.
"All you can ask for is a response," added Dyche.
"I've never questioned their work ethic or their dedication or integrity. It is just about displaying your quality.
"McAtee was excellent and Dan was super sharp. Igor got another couple and these are positive indicators."
Star Performer
Number: 19 Igor Jesus
Match rating: 9.10
Nottingham Forest Top Players
- #19: Average Rating 9.10
- J. McAtee: Rating 8.8
- R. Yates: Rating 8.63
- I. Sangaré: Average Rating 8.01
- N. Milenković: Average Rating 7.9
The Visitors Notable Players
- #11: Rating 4.1
- #66: Average Rating 4.1
- #16: Rating 4.1
After the opportunity to rate players has closed, the score displayed is the mean from all the submissions.
