Igor Jesus Fires Twice as Nottingham Forest Conclude European Group Stage with Victory over Hungarian Opponents
Match Summary
- The home side were already through to the knockout round.
- Bence Otvos own goal gives Nottingham Forest a first-half lead.
- Igor Jesus' European strike puts the team in command.
- Striker nets again with a sharp finish in the second half.
- James McAtee rounds off a great performance with a penalty.
The Brazilian attacker scored twice as Nottingham Forest concluded the league phase of the European competition with a comfortable win against their Hungarian visitors at the City Ground.
The hosts had already secured a berth in the knockout round play-offs and went into this game with a small chance of making the top eight, although they needed several results to go their way.
That did not happen but this confident performance will give the supporters confidence that their team can navigate the home-and-away tie to advance to the last 16.
Kristoffer Zachariassen did hit the upright with a header inside the first 10 minutes for the away team – who are managed by ex-Premier League forward Robbie Keane – but it was dominantly the home side from that point forward.
They broke the deadlock in the early stages when Ryan Yates' cross was turned into his own net by the defender and added a second four minutes later – the striker squeezing a shot in at the far post for his 10th goal of the campaign.
Jesus' eleventh goal came soon after the restart when he made a perfectly-timed run to break clear of the defence and then place a shot beyond the shot-stopper.
That goal killed off Ferencvaros' hopes of making a comeback and instead Forest added a fourth when the excellent McAtee scored from a penalty after a infringement by the unfortunate Otvos inside the penalty area 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's more than the result, there was that atmosphere about it. I want these players to do well as a unit, the entire team," 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 standout performer for Nottingham Forest in Europe this season with six of his 11 goals coming in the tournament.
His brace also means he has got three goals in his last two games and the threat of competition for his position in the forward line could be providing motivation.
Napoli striker Lorenzo Lucca was last week brought in temporarily and he was watching this game from the stands.
This development may well have been on the striker's thoughts as he was impressive against Ferencvaros, producing two superb finishes and generally being a constant threat to the visitors' defence with his speed and movement.
The forward was not alone in impressing, with James McAtee turning in his best performance in a Nottingham Forest shirt since signing from Manchester City last summer, while Dan Ndoye also performed well.
These encouraging performances will give Forest some renewed optimism as they turn their attention to increasing the gap from the bottom three when they welcome Crystal Palace on Sunday.
"All you can ask for is a response," added the manager.
"I have always trusted their commitment or their dedication or integrity. It is just go and show your ability.
"McAtee was excellent and Dan Ndoye was super sharp. Igor got another couple and these are positive indicators."
Star Performer
#19 The Striker
Match rating: 9.10
Nottingham Forest Key Performers
- Igor Jesus: Average Rating 9.10
- #24: Average Rating 8.8
- R. Yates: Average Rating 8.6
- I. Sangaré: Rating 8.0
- N. Milenković: Rating 7.9
Ferencváros Notable Players
- #11: Rating 4.1
- #66: Average Rating 4.1
- #16: Rating 4.09
After the opportunity to submit ratings has closed, the rating shown represents the average from all the submissions.
