🔗 Share this article Igor Jesus Fires a Brace as The Reds Conclude European Group Stage with Victory over Ferencvaros The Brazilian forward has now scored eleven strikes in all competitions for the club this season. At a Glance Forest were already through to the play-offs. Bence Otvos deflection gives Nottingham Forest a first-half lead. Igor Jesus' European strike puts Forest in control. Striker adds a third with a sharp finish in the latter period. James McAtee caps a great display with a penalty. The Brazilian attacker scored twice as Nottingham Forest concluded the group stage of the Europa League with a convincing win against their Hungarian visitors at the City Ground. The hosts had previously guaranteed a place in the next qualifying round and entered this game with a small chance of making the top eight, although they needed other matches to go their way. Those results failed to materialize but this confident performance will give the supporters belief that their side can navigate the home-and-away tie to reach the round of sixteen. A Ferencvaros midfielder did hit the upright with a header inside the opening stages for the away team – who are managed by former Tottenham striker Robbie Keane – but it was dominantly the home side from that point forward. They broke the deadlock in the early stages when a delivery from midfield was deflected in by the defender and added a second shortly after – the striker squeezing a shot in at the far post for his 10th goal of the campaign. The forward's eleventh goal arrived soon after the restart when he timed a run perfectly to break clear of the defence and then drive an effort past the shot-stopper. The third strike killed off the visitors' aspirations of making a comeback and instead the hosts added a fourth when the impressive McAtee scored from a spot-kick after a infringement by the hapless Bence Otvos inside the box on the winger. The Europa League qualifying round lottery is scheduled on Friday, 30 January (12:00 GMT), where Forest might face either the Turkish side or the Greek club. "It is not just the result, there was that atmosphere about it. I want these guys to do well as a unit, the whole squad," said Forest boss Sean Dyche. "This is another stride forward, but it is a positive one." Team Breakdown: Jesus Catches Eye as Recent Arrival Watches On Igor Jesus has been a revelation for Nottingham Forest in Europe this term with half of his 11 goals scored in the Europa League. His brace also means he has scored three goals 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 brought in temporarily and he was observing this match from the stands. This development may well have been on Jesus' mind as he was impressive against the opposition, delivering two excellent goals and overall being a constant threat to the visitors' defence with his speed and movement. Jesus was not the only one in catching the eye, with 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. Such positive showings will give Forest some fresh hope as they turn their attention to increasing the gap from the bottom three when they welcome their London rivals on the weekend. "The minimum requirement is a reaction," continued Dyche. "I have always trusted their work ethic or their loyalty or integrity. It is just go and show your quality. "James was very good and Dan Ndoye was super sharp. Jesus got another couple and these are good signs." Star Performer Number: 19 The Striker Match rating: 9.1 Nottingham Forest Key Performers Igor Jesus: Rating 9.1 #24: Average Rating 8.8 R. Yates: Rating 8.6 #6: Rating 8.01 #31: Rating 7.9 The Visitors Notable Players B. Yusuf: Average Rating 4.1 Júlio Romão: Rating 4.12 K. Zachariassen: Average Rating 4.09 Once the chance to rate players has ended, the rating displayed is the average from all the votes.