Igor Jesus Fires Twice as Nottingham Forest Round Off European Group Stage with Win over Hungarian Opponents
At a Glance
- The home side were previously qualified to the knockout round.
- Bence Otvos deflection gives Nottingham Forest a first-half lead.
- Igor Jesus' European strike puts the team in control.
- Striker adds a third with a sharp finish in the second half.
- The midfielder caps a excellent display with a spot-kick.
Igor Jesus scored twice as the Premier League side concluded the league phase of the European competition with a convincing win against their Hungarian visitors at the City Ground.
The hosts had already secured a berth in the next qualifying round and entered this fixture with a small chance of making the league's elite, although they needed other matches to fall in their favor.
That did not happen but this assured performance will give the supporters confidence that their team can navigate the two-legged play-off to reach the last 16.
Kristoffer Zachariassen did hit the upright with a header inside the first 10 minutes for the visitors – who are managed by former Tottenham striker Robbie Keane – but it was all Forest from that point forward.
Forest broke the deadlock in the 17th minute when a delivery from midfield 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 tenth strike of the campaign.
The forward's 11th came early in the second half when he timed a run perfectly to escape the defence and then drive an effort past the goalkeeper.
That goal ended Ferencvaros' hopes of mounting a recovery and instead Forest scored again when the excellent McAtee converted a spot-kick after a infringement by the unfortunate Bence Otvos inside the box on the winger.
The Europa League qualifying round lottery takes place on Friday, 30 January (midday UK time), where Forest could be drawn against either Fenerbahce or the Greek club.
"It's more than the result, there was that atmosphere about it. I want these guys to do collectively well, the entire team," said Forest boss Sean Dyche.
"This is another stride forward, but it is a good one."
Team Breakdown: Jesus Catches Eye as Recent Arrival Watches On
Igor Jesus has been a revelation for Forest in Europe this term with half of his eleven strikes scored in the tournament.
This double also means he has got three goals in his previous two outings and the threat of competition for his place in the forward line could be spurring him on.
Italian forward Lorenzo Lucca was recently brought in temporarily and he was watching this match from the stands.
This development may well have been on the striker's thoughts as he was outstanding against the opposition, producing two excellent finishes and overall being a constant threat to the visitors' defence with his speed and runs.
The forward was not the only one in catching the eye, with James McAtee producing his finest display in a Nottingham Forest shirt since signing from the champions last summer, while Dan Ndoye 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 their London rivals on Sunday.
"All you can ask for is a response," continued Dyche.
"I have always trusted their commitment or their loyalty or integrity. It is just go and show your quality.
"James was very good and Dan was super sharp. Jesus got another two and these are positive indicators."
Player of the Match
Number: 19 Igor Jesus
Match rating: 9.10
Nottingham Forest Key Performers
- Igor Jesus: Rating 9.1
- J. McAtee: Rating 8.8
- #22: Rating 8.6
- I. Sangaré: Average Rating 8.0
- N. Milenković: Rating 7.94
The Visitors Notable Players
- B. Yusuf: Rating 4.1
- Júlio Romão: Rating 4.1
- #16: Rating 4.1
After the opportunity to submit ratings has closed, the score shown is the average from all the votes.
