Forest's Striker Fires a Brace as Nottingham Forest Conclude European Group Stage with Win over Hungarian Opponents
Match Summary
- Forest were already through to the knockout round.
- A Ferencvaros defender own goal gives Nottingham Forest a opening period lead.
- Igor Jesus' European strike puts Forest in command.
- Striker nets again with a sharp finish in the second half.
- The midfielder caps a great display with a penalty.
The Brazilian attacker found the net on two occasions as the Premier League side concluded the group stage of the Europa League with a comfortable win against Ferencvaros at the home stadium.
The hosts had previously guaranteed a place in the next qualifying round and entered this fixture with a slim possibility of reaching the top eight, although they required several results to go their way.
Those results failed to materialize but this assured performance will give Forest fans confidence that their side can navigate the two-legged play-off to reach the round of sixteen.
Kristoffer Zachariassen did hit the upright with a headed effort inside the first 10 minutes for the visitors – coached by former Tottenham striker Robbie Keane – but it was dominantly the home side from then on.
They opened the scoring in the 17th minute when a delivery from midfield was turned into his own net by Bence Otvos and doubled the lead shortly after – Jesus firing an effort in at the far post for his tenth strike of the campaign.
The forward's eleventh goal came early in the second half when he made a perfectly-timed run to escape the backline and then drive an effort beyond the shot-stopper.
The third strike killed off the visitors' hopes of making a comeback and instead the hosts scored again when the impressive McAtee scored from a spot-kick after a infringement by the hapless Otvos inside the penalty area on Dan Ndoye.
The Europa League knockout phase play-off draw takes place on Friday, 30 January (midday UK time), where Forest could be drawn against either the Turkish side or Panathinaikos.
"It is not just the result, there was that feel about it. I want these guys to do collectively well, the entire team," said Forest boss Sean Dyche.
"This is another stride forward, but it is a good one."
Forest Analysis: Jesus Catches Eye as Recent Arrival Watches On
Igor Jesus has been a standout performer for Nottingham Forest in Europe this term with six of his 11 goals scored in the Europa League.
This double also means he has scored three goals in his last two games and the prospect of a challenge for his place in the forward line could be spurring him on.
Italian forward Lorenzo Lucca was recently brought in temporarily and he was watching this game from the directors' box.
This development may well have been on Jesus' mind as he was outstanding against Ferencvaros, producing two superb finishes and generally being a constant threat to the opposition backline with his pace and movement.
The forward was not alone in impressing, with James McAtee producing his best performance in a Forest jersey since joining from the champions last summer, while Dan Ndoye also impressed.
Such positive showings will give Forest some renewed optimism as they switch focus to pulling further away from the Premier League relegation zone when they host their London rivals on the weekend.
"All you can ask for is a response," continued the manager.
"I have always trusted their commitment or their dedication or honesty. It is just about displaying your ability.
"McAtee was excellent and Dan was super sharp. Jesus got another couple and these are good signs."
Star Performer
#19 The Striker
Average rating: 9.1
Forest Top Players
- Igor Jesus: Rating 9.1
- J. McAtee: Average Rating 8.75
- R. Yates: Rating 8.6
- #6: Rating 8.01
- N. Milenković: Rating 7.94
The Visitors Ratings
- #11: Average Rating 4.14
- #66: Average Rating 4.12
- K. Zachariassen: Average Rating 4.09
After the opportunity to rate players has closed, the score shown is the mean from all the submissions.
