Igor Jesus Scores Twice as Nottingham Forest Conclude European Campaign with Win over Ferencvaros
At a Glance
- Forest were previously qualified to the play-offs.
- Bence Otvos own goal gives Nottingham Forest a first-half lead.
- Igor Jesus' fifth goal in Europe puts Forest in command.
- Striker adds a third with a sharp finish in the latter period.
- The midfielder rounds off a great performance with a spot-kick.
The Brazilian attacker found the net on two occasions as Nottingham Forest concluded the group stage of the Europa League with a convincing win against Ferencvaros at the City Ground.
Forest had previously guaranteed a berth in the next qualifying round and entered this game with a small chance of reaching the top eight, even though they required other matches to fall in their favor.
That did not happen but this confident display will give Forest fans belief that their team can navigate the two-legged play-off to advance to the last 16.
A Ferencvaros midfielder did hit the post with a header inside the opening stages for the visitors – who are managed by former Tottenham striker Robbie Keane – but it was dominantly the home side from then on.
They opened the scoring in the early stages when a delivery from midfield was turned into his own net by the defender and added a second four minutes later – Jesus squeezing a shot in at the far post for his tenth strike of the season.
Jesus' eleventh goal came soon after the restart when he made a perfectly-timed run to break clear of the backline and then drive an effort past the shot-stopper.
The third strike ended the visitors' aspirations of making a comeback and instead Forest scored again when the impressive McAtee converted a spot-kick after a infringement by the hapless Otvos inside the box on Dan Ndoye.
The Europa League qualifying round lottery is scheduled on Friday, 30 January (12:00 GMT), where Forest might face either the Turkish side or the Greek club.
"It is not just the scoreline, there was that atmosphere about it. I want these players to do well as a unit, the whole squad," said manager Sean Dyche.
"This is another stride forward, but it is a positive one."
Team Breakdown: Jesus Catches Eye as Recent Arrival Observes from Stands
Igor Jesus has been a revelation for Forest in European competition this season with six of his 11 goals coming in the Europa League.
His brace also means he has got a trio of strikes in his last two games and the prospect of competition for his position in attack could be spurring him on.
Italian forward 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' thoughts as he was impressive against the opposition, delivering two superb finishes and generally being a menace to the opposition backline with his pace and runs.
Jesus was not alone in catching the eye, with James McAtee producing his finest display in a Nottingham Forest shirt since signing from the champions last summer, while the Swiss international also performed well.
Such positive showings will give Forest some renewed optimism as they turn their attention to increasing the gap from the bottom three when they host their London rivals on the weekend.
"The minimum requirement is a response," continued the manager.
"I've never questioned their commitment or their dedication or integrity. It is just about displaying your quality.
"James was excellent and Dan Ndoye was super sharp. Jesus got another two and these are good signs."
Player of the Match
Number: 19 Igor Jesus
Average rating: 9.10
Forest Top Players
- #19: Average Rating 9.10
- #24: Average Rating 8.75
- #22: Average Rating 8.6
- I. Sangaré: Rating 8.01
- N. Milenković: Average Rating 7.9
The Visitors Notable Players
- B. Yusuf: Average Rating 4.14
- Júlio Romão: Rating 4.12
- #16: Average Rating 4.1
After the opportunity to rate players has ended, the score shown is the mean from all the votes.
