Forest's Striker Fires a Brace as Nottingham Forest Round Off Europa League Campaign with Win over Hungarian Opponents
At a Glance
- The home side were already through to the play-offs.
- Bence Otvos deflection gives hosts a opening period lead.
- The striker's European strike puts the team in control.
- Striker adds a third with a sharp finish in the second half.
- The midfielder rounds off a great display with a penalty.
Igor Jesus scored twice as the Premier League side concluded the league phase of the European competition with a convincing win against Ferencvaros at the home stadium.
The hosts had already secured a berth in the knockout round play-offs and went into this game with a small chance of reaching the league's elite, even though they needed other matches to go their way.
That did not happen but this confident display will give the supporters confidence that their team can come through the two-legged play-off to advance to the last 16.
Kristoffer Zachariassen did hit the post with a headed effort inside the opening stages for the visitors – coached by former Tottenham striker Robbie Keane – but it was dominantly the home side from then on.
They opened the scoring in the 17th minute when a delivery from midfield was deflected in by the defender and doubled the lead shortly after – the striker firing an effort in at the back post for his tenth strike of the season.
The forward's 11th arrived early in the second half when he timed a run perfectly to break clear of the defence and then drive an effort beyond the shot-stopper.
The third strike ended the visitors' aspirations of making a comeback and instead the hosts scored again when the excellent McAtee scored from a spot-kick after a foul by the hapless Otvos inside the box on the winger.
The Europa League qualifying round lottery takes place on the final Friday of January (midday UK time), where Forest could be drawn against either the Turkish side or Panathinaikos.
"It is not just the scoreline, there was that atmosphere about it. I want these players to do well as a unit, the whole squad," said Forest boss Sean Dyche.
"That was another stride forward, but it is a good one."
Team Breakdown: Striker Shines as Recent Arrival Observes from Stands
Jesus has been a revelation for Nottingham Forest in European competition this term with half of his 11 goals coming in the Europa League.
This double also means he has got a trio of strikes in his last two games and the threat of a challenge for his position in the forward line could be spurring him on.
Italian forward Lorenzo Lucca was recently brought in temporarily and he was observing this match from the stands.
That may well have been on the striker's thoughts as he was impressive against the opposition, producing two superb finishes and generally being a menace to the opposition backline with his pace and movement.
The forward was not the only one in catching the eye, with McAtee producing his best performance in a Nottingham Forest shirt since signing from Manchester City in the previous transfer window, while the Swiss international also performed well.
These encouraging performances will give the club some fresh hope as they turn their attention to increasing the gap from the Premier League relegation zone when they host their London rivals on Sunday.
"All you can ask for is a reaction," 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 Ndoye was incredibly lively. Igor got another two and these are positive indicators."
Star Performer
Number: 19 The Striker
Match rating: 9.1
Forest Top Players
- #19: Rating 9.10
- #24: Average Rating 8.8
- #22: Average Rating 8.63
- #6: Average Rating 8.01
- N. Milenković: Rating 7.9
The Visitors Notable Players
- #11: Rating 4.14
- #66: Rating 4.12
- #16: Rating 4.09
Once the chance to submit ratings has closed, the rating shown represents the average from all the votes.
