Match Summary
- The home side were already through to the knockout round.
- Bence Otvos deflection gives hosts a opening period lead.
- Igor Jesus' European strike puts Forest in command.
- Striker nets again with a sharp finish in the second half.
- James McAtee rounds off a great display with a penalty.
The Brazilian attacker scored twice as Nottingham Forest rounded off the league phase of the Europa League with a convincing triumph against their Hungarian visitors at the City Ground.
Forest had previously guaranteed a berth in the knockout round play-offs and entered this fixture with a slim possibility of reaching the top eight, even though they needed several results to fall in their favor.
That did not happen but this confident performance will give Forest fans confidence that their side can navigate the two-legged play-off to advance to the round of sixteen.
A Ferencvaros midfielder struck the post with a headed effort inside the opening stages for the visitors – who are managed by ex-Premier League forward Robbie Keane – but it was dominantly the home side from that point forward.
They opened the scoring in the 17th minute when Ryan Yates' cross was turned into his own net by the defender and doubled the lead four minutes later – Jesus firing an effort in at the far post for his 10th goal of the season.
The forward's eleventh goal arrived soon after the restart when he timed a run perfectly to escape the defence and then place a shot past the shot-stopper.
That goal ended Ferencvaros' aspirations of mounting a recovery and instead the hosts scored again when the impressive McAtee converted a spot-kick after a infringement by the hapless Bence Otvos inside the penalty area on the winger.
The Europa League knockout phase play-off draw 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 well as a unit, the entire team," said manager Sean Dyche.
"This is another step, but it is a positive step."
Forest Analysis: Striker Shines as New Signing Watches On
Igor Jesus has been a standout performer for Forest in European competition this term with half of his 11 goals coming in the Europa League.
This double also means he has scored three goals in his last two games and the prospect of a challenge for his position in attack could be spurring him on.
Napoli striker Lorenzo Lucca was recently brought in temporarily and he was watching this game from the stands.
This development may well have been on the striker's mind as he was impressive against the opposition, producing two excellent finishes and generally being a menace to the opposition backline with his speed and runs.
Jesus was not the only one in catching the eye, with James McAtee turning in his finest display in a Nottingham Forest shirt since joining from Manchester City in the previous transfer window, while Dan Ndoye also performed well.
These encouraging performances will give the club some renewed optimism as they switch focus to increasing the gap from the bottom three when they welcome Crystal Palace on Sunday.
"All you can ask for is a response," added Dyche.
"I have always trusted their commitment or their loyalty or integrity. It is just go and show your ability.
"James was excellent and Dan was incredibly lively. Jesus got another couple and these are positive indicators."
Player of the Match
Number: 19 Igor Jesus
Match rating: 9.1
Forest Key Performers
- Igor Jesus: Average Rating 9.1
- J. McAtee: Rating 8.8
- R. Yates: Rating 8.6
- #6: Rating 8.0
- N. Milenković: Average Rating 7.9
Ferencváros Notable Players
- #11: Average Rating 4.14
- Júlio Romão: Rating 4.1
- K. Zachariassen: Average Rating 4.09
Once the chance to rate players has ended, the rating displayed represents the mean from all the votes.
