Igor Jesus Fires Twice as The Reds Round Off Europa League Group Stage with Win over Hungarian Opponents
At a Glance
- The home side were previously qualified to the knockout round.
- A Ferencvaros defender own goal gives Nottingham Forest a first-half lead.
- The striker's fifth goal in Europe puts Forest in command.
- Forward adds a third with a clinical effort in the latter period.
- James McAtee caps a excellent performance with a penalty.
The Brazilian attacker found the net on two occasions as Nottingham Forest rounded off the league phase of the Europa League with a convincing win against their Hungarian visitors at the home stadium.
Forest had already secured a berth in the knockout round play-offs and went into this game with a slim possibility of reaching the top eight, even though they required other matches to fall in their favor.
That did not happen but this assured performance will give Forest fans belief that their team can navigate the home-and-away tie to advance to the last 16.
A Ferencvaros midfielder did hit the upright with a header 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.
Forest opened the scoring in the 17th minute when Ryan Yates' cross was turned into his own net by Bence Otvos and doubled the lead shortly after – the striker squeezing a shot in at the far post for his 10th goal of the campaign.
The forward's 11th came early in the second half when he timed a run perfectly to break clear of the backline and then drive an effort beyond the goalkeeper.
The third strike ended Ferencvaros' aspirations of making a comeback and instead the hosts scored again when the impressive McAtee converted a penalty after a foul by the hapless Otvos inside the penalty area on the winger.
Europe's secondary club competition qualifying round draw takes place on the final Friday of January (12:00 GMT), where Forest might face either the Turkish side or Panathinaikos.
"It is not just the result, there was that feel about it. I want these players to do collectively well, the whole squad," said Forest boss Sean Dyche.
"That was another stride forward, but it is a positive step."
Team Breakdown: Striker Shines as Recent Arrival Observes from Stands
Igor Jesus has been a revelation for Forest in European competition this season with six of his eleven strikes scored in the tournament.
This double also means he has scored a trio of strikes in his last two games and the prospect of a challenge for his position in attack could be spurring him on.
Napoli striker Lorenzo Lucca was last week signed on loan and he was observing this game from the directors' box.
This development may well have been on Jesus' mind as he was impressive against the opposition, producing two excellent finishes and overall being a constant threat to the visitors' defence with his pace and movement.
The forward was not the only one in impressing, with James McAtee producing his finest display in a Forest jersey since signing from Manchester City last summer, while the Swiss international also impressed.
These encouraging performances will give Forest some fresh hope as they switch focus to pulling further away from the bottom three when they welcome Crystal Palace on Sunday.
"All you can ask for is a reaction," added Dyche.
"I've never questioned their commitment or their loyalty or honesty. It is just about displaying your ability.
"McAtee was excellent and Dan was incredibly lively. Jesus got another two and these are positive indicators."
Player of the Match
Number: 19 The Striker
Match rating: 9.1
Nottingham Forest Key Performers
- Igor Jesus: Rating 9.10
- #24: Average Rating 8.8
- R. Yates: Rating 8.63
- I. Sangaré: Rating 8.0
- N. Milenković: Rating 7.9
The Visitors Ratings
- B. Yusuf: Average Rating 4.1
- Júlio Romão: Average Rating 4.1
- K. Zachariassen: Average Rating 4.09
Once the chance to submit ratings has ended, the rating displayed represents the mean from all the votes.
