Forest's Striker Fires Twice as The Reds Conclude European Campaign with Win over Ferencvaros
At a Glance
- Forest were previously qualified to the knockout round.
- Bence Otvos own goal gives Nottingham Forest a opening period lead.
- The striker's European strike puts Forest in command.
- Forward adds a third with a sharp finish in the latter period.
- James McAtee caps a great performance with a spot-kick.
The Brazilian attacker found the net on two occasions as Nottingham Forest rounded off the group stage of the European competition with a convincing win against their Hungarian visitors at the home stadium.
Forest had already secured a place in the next qualifying round and entered this fixture with a small chance of reaching the top eight, even though they needed other matches to go their way.
Those results failed to materialize but this assured performance will give Forest fans belief that their side can navigate the home-and-away tie to advance to 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 all Forest from that point forward.
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 – the striker firing an effort in at the far post for his 10th goal of the season.
Jesus' eleventh goal arrived soon after the restart when he timed a run perfectly to break clear of the backline and then drive an effort beyond the goalkeeper.
The third strike ended the visitors' hopes of mounting a recovery and instead Forest added a fourth when the impressive James McAtee scored from a spot-kick after a infringement by the unfortunate Otvos inside the box on the winger.
The Europa League qualifying round lottery is scheduled on the final Friday of January (12:00 GMT), where Forest might face either the Turkish side or Panathinaikos.
"It is not just the scoreline, there was that feel about it. I want these players to do well as a unit, the entire team," said Forest boss Sean Dyche.
"That was another stride forward, but it is a positive step."
Forest Analysis: Striker Shines as New Signing Watches On
Jesus has been a revelation for Nottingham Forest in European competition this term with six of his eleven strikes scored in the tournament.
This double also means he has got a trio of strikes in his last two games and the threat of competition for his place in attack could be spurring him on.
Italian forward Lorenzo Lucca was recently signed on loan and he was observing this game from the stands.
That may well have been on the striker's thoughts as he was outstanding 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 the only one in impressing, with James McAtee turning in his finest display in a Forest jersey since joining from Manchester City in the previous transfer window, while Dan Ndoye also performed well.
These encouraging performances will give the club some renewed optimism as they turn their attention to pulling further away from the Premier League relegation zone 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 excellent and Dan Ndoye was super sharp. Igor got another couple and these are good signs."
Player of the Match
Number: 19 Igor Jesus
Average rating: 9.10
Nottingham Forest Top Players
- Igor Jesus: Rating 9.10
- J. McAtee: Rating 8.8
- R. Yates: Rating 8.6
- #6: Rating 8.0
- N. Milenković: Average Rating 7.94
The Visitors Notable Players
- B. Yusuf: Average Rating 4.1
- Júlio Romão: Rating 4.1
- K. Zachariassen: Rating 4.09
After the opportunity to submit ratings has closed, the rating displayed is the average from all the submissions.
