Igor Jesus Fires a Brace as Nottingham Forest Round Off Europa League Campaign with Victory over Hungarian Opponents
At a Glance
- Forest were previously qualified to the play-offs.
- A Ferencvaros defender deflection gives Nottingham Forest a first-half lead.
- Igor Jesus' fifth goal in Europe puts Forest in command.
- Forward nets again with a sharp finish in the latter period.
- James McAtee rounds off a great display with a spot-kick.
The Brazilian attacker scored twice as Nottingham Forest rounded off the league phase of the European competition with a comfortable win against their Hungarian visitors at the home stadium.
Forest had previously guaranteed a place in the knockout round play-offs and entered this fixture with a small chance of reaching the league's elite, even though they required other matches to fall in their favor.
That did not happen but this confident display will give Forest fans confidence that their side can come through 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 all Forest from that point forward.
They opened the scoring in the 17th minute when a delivery from midfield was deflected in by the defender and doubled the lead four minutes later – the striker firing an effort in at the far post for his 10th goal of the season.
The forward's 11th came early in the second half when he timed a run perfectly to break clear of the backline and then place a shot past the shot-stopper.
The third strike killed off Ferencvaros' hopes of making a comeback and instead Forest scored again when the impressive McAtee scored from a penalty after a foul by the unfortunate Otvos inside the penalty area on the winger.
The Europa League knockout phase play-off lottery takes place on the final Friday of January (midday UK time), where Nottingham Forest might face either the Turkish side or the Greek club.
"It is not just 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.
"This is another stride forward, but it is a good step."
Team Breakdown: Striker Shines as Recent Arrival Watches On
Igor Jesus has been a revelation for Forest in Europe this season with six of his 11 goals coming in the Europa League.
This double also means he has scored three goals in his previous two outings and the prospect of competition for his position in the forward line could be providing motivation.
Napoli striker Lorenzo Lucca was recently signed on loan and he was observing this game from the directors' box.
That may well have been on Jesus' thoughts as he was outstanding against the opposition, delivering two superb finishes and generally being a constant threat to the visitors' defence with his speed and movement.
The forward was not alone in catching the eye, with James McAtee turning in his best performance in a Forest jersey since signing from the champions last summer, while Dan Ndoye also performed well.
These encouraging performances will give Forest some renewed optimism as they switch focus to pulling further away from the bottom three when they host their London rivals on Sunday.
"All you can ask for is a response," added Dyche.
"I have always trusted their commitment or their loyalty or integrity. It is just go and show your quality.
"James was excellent and Dan was incredibly lively. Jesus got another couple and these are good signs."
Star Performer
Number: 19 Igor Jesus
Average rating: 9.1
Nottingham Forest Top Players
- #19: Rating 9.10
- #24: Average Rating 8.75
- R. Yates: Rating 8.6
- I. Sangaré: Average Rating 8.01
- N. Milenković: Average Rating 7.9
Ferencváros Ratings
- #11: Rating 4.14
- Júlio Romão: Average Rating 4.1
- #16: Average Rating 4.1
Once the chance to submit ratings has closed, the score displayed represents the mean from all the votes.