Igor Jesus Scores Twice as Nottingham Forest Round Off Europa League Group Stage with Victory over Ferencvaros
Match Summary
- Forest were previously qualified to the knockout round.
- A Ferencvaros defender own goal gives hosts a first-half lead.
- Igor Jesus' European strike puts Forest in command.
- Forward nets again with a sharp finish in the second half.
- The midfielder caps a excellent performance with a spot-kick.
The Brazilian attacker scored twice as the Premier League side concluded the league phase of the European competition with a comfortable win against their Hungarian visitors at the home stadium.
Forest had already secured a berth in the knockout round play-offs and entered this game with a slim possibility of making the league's elite, although they required other matches to fall in their favor.
Those results failed to materialize but this assured performance will give Forest fans confidence that their team can come through the home-and-away tie to reach the last 16.
A Ferencvaros midfielder did hit the post with a header 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.
Forest opened the scoring in the 17th minute when a delivery from midfield was deflected in by the defender and added a second four minutes later – the striker firing an effort in at the far post for his tenth strike of the campaign.
Jesus' 11th came soon after the restart when he timed a run perfectly to escape the backline and then place a shot past the goalkeeper.
That goal ended the visitors' aspirations of making a comeback and instead the hosts added a fourth when the impressive James McAtee converted a penalty after a foul by the hapless Bence Otvos inside the penalty area on Dan Ndoye.
Europe's secondary club competition knockout phase play-off lottery is scheduled on Friday, 30 January (12:00 GMT), where Forest might face either Fenerbahce or Panathinaikos.
"It's more than the scoreline, there was that atmosphere about it. I want these guys to do collectively well, the entire team," said manager Sean Dyche.
"That was another stride forward, but it is a good one."
Forest Analysis: Jesus Catches Eye as Recent Arrival Observes from Stands
Jesus has been a revelation for Forest in Europe this season with half of his 11 goals scored in the Europa League.
This double also means he has got three goals in his last two games and the threat of a challenge for his position in the forward line could be providing motivation.
Italian forward Lorenzo Lucca was last week brought in temporarily and he was watching this game from the stands.
That may well have been on the striker's mind as he was impressive against Ferencvaros, producing two excellent goals and generally being a constant threat to the opposition backline with his speed and runs.
Jesus was not alone in catching the eye, with James McAtee producing his finest display in a Forest jersey since signing from the champions last summer, while the Swiss international 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 host Crystal Palace on Sunday.
"The minimum requirement is a reaction," continued Dyche.
"I've never questioned their work ethic or their dedication or honesty. It is just go and show your quality.
"James was excellent and Dan Ndoye was super sharp. Igor got another two and these are positive indicators."
Star Performer
#19 Igor Jesus
Match rating: 9.10
Forest Key Performers
- #19: Average Rating 9.1
- J. McAtee: Rating 8.75
- #22: Rating 8.63
- I. Sangaré: Average Rating 8.0
- #31: Rating 7.9
Ferencváros Notable Players
- #11: Rating 4.1
- #66: Average Rating 4.1
- #16: Rating 4.1
Once the chance to submit ratings has ended, the rating shown represents the average from all the votes.
