Forest's Striker Scores a Brace as The Reds Conclude Europa League Group Stage with Victory over Ferencvaros
At a Glance
- Forest were previously qualified to the play-offs.
- A Ferencvaros defender deflection gives Nottingham Forest a first-half lead.
- The striker's European strike puts Forest in control.
- Forward nets again with a sharp finish in the second half.
- The midfielder 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 convincing win against Ferencvaros at the home stadium.
The hosts had already secured a place in the knockout round play-offs and entered this fixture with a small chance of reaching the league's elite, although they required other matches to go their way.
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 round of sixteen.
A Ferencvaros midfielder struck the post with a headed effort inside the first 10 minutes for the away team – who are managed by former Tottenham striker Robbie Keane – but it was all Forest from that point forward.
They 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 – Jesus squeezing a shot in at the back post for his tenth strike of the campaign.
Jesus' 11th came early in the second half when he made a perfectly-timed run to escape the backline and then drive an effort beyond the goalkeeper.
The third strike ended the visitors' hopes of making a comeback and instead Forest added a fourth when the excellent James McAtee converted a spot-kick after a foul by the hapless Bence Otvos inside the box on the winger.
The Europa League qualifying round lottery 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 atmosphere 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 good one."
Forest Analysis: Striker Shines as Recent Arrival Observes from Stands
Jesus has been a standout performer for Forest in European competition this term with six of his 11 goals scored in the tournament.
This double also means he has scored 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 last week brought in temporarily and he was observing this match from the stands.
That may well have been on Jesus' thoughts as he was impressive against the opposition, delivering two excellent finishes and overall being a constant threat to the opposition backline with his pace and runs.
Jesus was not the only one in catching the eye, with James McAtee turning in his best performance in a Nottingham Forest shirt since joining from Manchester City in the previous transfer window, while the Swiss international also impressed.
Such positive showings will give Forest some renewed optimism as they switch focus to increasing the gap from the bottom three when they host Crystal Palace on Sunday.
"All you can ask for is a response," continued the manager.
"I have always trusted their work ethic or their loyalty or honesty. It is just about displaying your ability.
"James was very good and Dan Ndoye was super sharp. Jesus got another couple and these are good signs."
Star Performer
Number: 19 The Striker
Match rating: 9.1
Nottingham Forest Key Performers
- Igor Jesus: Rating 9.1
- J. McAtee: Rating 8.75
- R. Yates: Rating 8.63
- I. Sangaré: Rating 8.01
- #31: Average Rating 7.94
The Visitors Ratings
- #11: Average Rating 4.14
- Júlio Romão: Rating 4.12
- K. Zachariassen: Rating 4.1
Once the chance to rate players has ended, the score displayed is the average from all the submissions.