Forest's Striker Fires Twice as Nottingham Forest Round Off European Group Stage with Victory over Ferencvaros
At a Glance
- Forest were previously qualified to the knockout round.
- Bence Otvos deflection gives hosts a first-half lead.
- The striker's fifth goal in Europe puts Forest in command.
- Forward nets again with a sharp finish in the latter period.
- The midfielder caps a great performance with a spot-kick.
The Brazilian attacker scored twice as the Premier League side concluded the group stage of the European competition with a comfortable 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 making the top eight, although they needed other matches to fall in their favor.
That did not happen but this assured performance will give the supporters belief that their side can come through the home-and-away tie to advance to the round of sixteen.
A Ferencvaros midfielder did hit the post with a headed effort 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 then on.
They broke the deadlock in the early stages when Ryan Yates' cross was turned into his own net by Bence Otvos and doubled the lead four minutes later – the striker firing an effort in at the back post for his 10th goal of the season.
The forward's 11th came early in the second half when he timed a run perfectly to escape the backline and then drive an effort beyond the goalkeeper.
That goal killed off the visitors' aspirations of making a comeback and instead Forest added a fourth when the impressive McAtee scored from a spot-kick after a infringement by the hapless Otvos inside the box on Dan Ndoye.
The Europa League qualifying round draw takes place on Friday, 30 January (12:00 GMT), where Forest might face either the Turkish side or Panathinaikos.
"It is not just the result, there was that feel about it. I want these players to do collectively well, the entire team," said manager Sean Dyche.
"This is another stride forward, but it is a positive one."
Forest Analysis: Jesus Catches Eye as Recent Arrival Observes from Stands
Igor Jesus has been a standout performer for Nottingham Forest in European competition this season with half of his eleven strikes coming in the Europa League.
This double also means he has got three goals in his previous two outings and the prospect of competition for his place in the forward line could be providing motivation.
Italian forward Lorenzo Lucca was last week brought in temporarily and he was watching this match from the directors' box.
That may well have been on Jesus' mind as he was impressive against the opposition, producing two excellent goals and generally being a menace to the visitors' defence with his speed and movement.
The forward was not the only one in impressing, with James McAtee turning in his finest display in a Forest jersey since signing from the champions in the previous transfer window, while Dan Ndoye also impressed.
These encouraging performances will give the club some renewed optimism as they turn their attention to increasing the gap from the bottom three when they host their London rivals on the weekend.
"All you can ask for is a response," added Dyche.
"I've never questioned their work ethic or their loyalty or integrity. It is just about displaying your quality.
"James was excellent and Dan was super sharp. Jesus got another couple and these are positive indicators."
Star Performer
#19 The Striker
Average rating: 9.10
Forest Key Performers
- Igor Jesus: Rating 9.10
- #24: Rating 8.75
- R. Yates: Rating 8.6
- #6: Rating 8.0
- #31: Rating 7.9
Ferencváros Notable Players
- B. Yusuf: Average Rating 4.1
- Júlio Romão: Rating 4.12
- K. Zachariassen: Rating 4.09
Once the chance to rate players has closed, the score shown represents the mean from all the votes.
