Igor Jesus Scores Twice as The Reds Conclude Europa League Group Stage with Victory over Ferencvaros
At a Glance
- Forest were previously qualified to the knockout round.
- A Ferencvaros defender own goal gives Nottingham Forest a first-half lead.
- Igor Jesus' European strike puts the team in control.
- Forward adds a third with a sharp finish in the latter period.
- The midfielder rounds off a excellent performance with a spot-kick.
The Brazilian attacker found the net on two occasions as the Premier League side concluded the league phase of the Europa League with a convincing triumph against Ferencvaros at the home stadium.
The hosts had already secured a berth in the knockout round play-offs and entered this fixture with a small chance of reaching the top eight, although they required other matches to fall in their favor.
Those results failed to materialize but this confident display will give Forest fans belief that their team can come through the two-legged play-off to reach the round of sixteen.
A Ferencvaros midfielder struck the post with a header inside the opening stages for the visitors – who are managed by ex-Premier League forward Robbie Keane – but it was all Forest from that point forward.
They opened the scoring in the early stages when Ryan Yates' cross 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 10th goal of the season.
Jesus' eleventh goal came soon after the restart when he timed a run perfectly to escape the defence and then place a shot past the shot-stopper.
The third strike killed off Ferencvaros' aspirations of mounting a recovery and instead Forest added a fourth when the impressive James McAtee scored from a penalty after a infringement by the unfortunate Otvos inside the box on the winger.
The Europa League knockout phase play-off lottery takes place on the final Friday of January (midday UK time), where Forest might face either the Turkish side or Panathinaikos.
"It is not just the scoreline, there was that atmosphere about it. I want these guys to do collectively well, the entire team," said manager Sean Dyche.
"This is another step, but it is a good one."
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Igor Jesus has been a revelation for Forest in European competition this season with half of his 11 goals coming in the tournament.
His brace also means he has scored a trio of strikes in his previous two outings and the threat of competition for his position in attack could be spurring him on.
Napoli striker Lorenzo Lucca was last week signed on loan and he was watching this match from the stands.
This development may well have been on the striker's mind as he was outstanding against the opposition, producing two superb finishes and generally being a menace to the opposition backline with his speed and movement.
The forward was not alone in catching the eye, with James McAtee producing his best performance in a Forest jersey since signing from the champions last summer, while Dan Ndoye also performed well.
These encouraging performances will give the club some fresh hope as they switch focus to increasing the gap from the bottom three when they welcome their London rivals on the weekend.
"The minimum requirement is a reaction," added Dyche.
"I have always trusted their commitment or their dedication or honesty. It is just go and show your ability.
"McAtee was very good and Dan Ndoye was super sharp. Jesus got another couple and these are positive indicators."
Player of the Match
#19 Igor Jesus
Average rating: 9.1
Nottingham Forest Key Performers
- #19: Rating 9.10
- #24: Rating 8.75
- R. Yates: Rating 8.63
- #6: Average Rating 8.0
- #31: Average Rating 7.94
Ferencváros Notable Players
- #11: Average Rating 4.14
- #66: Rating 4.1
- #16: Rating 4.09
Once the chance to rate players has closed, the rating displayed is the average from all the votes.
