Nottingham Forest ended their Europa League league phase campaign with a convincing home victory against Ferencváros, with Igor Jesus scoring two goals at the City Ground.
Forest had already booked a place in the knockout play-off round before kick-off. There was still an outside possibility of reaching the top eight, but that depended on other matches producing favourable outcomes.
Those results did not materialise, yet the performance itself provided supporters with confidence that Forest can progress through the upcoming two-leg play-off tie and reach the round of 16.
Ferencváros, led by former Tottenham forward Robbie Keane, started positively. Kristoffer Zachariassen struck the post with a header inside the opening 10 minutes, but after that moment Forest dominated proceedings.
The breakthrough arrived in the 17th minute when Ryan Yates delivered a cross that Bence Otvos diverted into his own goal, putting the hosts ahead.
Jesus leads attack as Forest extend advantage
Forest doubled their lead just four minutes after the opener. Jesus found space at the far post and forced his finish beyond the goalkeeper to score his 10th goal of the campaign.
Early in the second half, the forward added another. He timed his run behind the defensive line perfectly before firing his shot past the keeper to make it 3-0.
That strike effectively ended any hopes of a comeback for the Hungarian side. Forest later added a fourth when James McAtee converted a penalty following a foul by Otvos on Dan Ndoye inside the area.
The knockout play-off draw is scheduled for Friday, 30 January, at 12:00 GMT, where Forest will face either Fenerbahce or Panathinaikos.
After the match, manager Sean Dyche highlighted the overall team performance and described the result as another positive step for the squad.
Strong individual displays boost squad confidence
Jesus has been a standout performer for Forest in European competition this season, with six of his 11 goals coming in the Europa League. His brace also means he has scored three times across his last two matches.
Competition for attacking places may be increasing following the loan arrival of Napoli striker Lorenzo Lucca, who watched the game from the stands.
McAtee also impressed, delivering what was described as his strongest display since joining Forest from Manchester City last summer. Ndoye also made a strong impact with his sharp attacking play.
These performances give Forest encouragement as attention returns to domestic matters. They face Crystal Palace on Sunday as they aim to move further away from the Premier League relegation zone.
Dyche praised his players’ response and reiterated his belief in their work rate and commitment, while highlighting the positive contributions from McAtee, Ndoye and Jesus.
