Nottingham Forest have secured their place in the Europa League playoff round with a resounding 4-0 thrashing of Hungarian side Ferencvaros at home, thanks to a stellar display from Brazilian striker Igor Jesus.
The win was a statement of intent by manager Sean Dyche's team, who cruised into the playoffs with ease, ending Ferencvaros' unbeaten record in European competition and their hopes of a top-eight finish. James McAtee sealed the victory with a penalty kick in the second half, as Forest made do with a two-goal advantage at halftime.
The gulf between the teams was evident from the start, with Nottingham Forest's squad boasting a £650 million price tag. The visiting side were outclassed by the home team, who fielded five changes to the starting lineup that won at Brentford just a week earlier.
Forest added three more goals after Ferencvaros' early strike, courtesy of Igor Jesus and Nicolás Domínguez's header, before Callum Hudson-Odoi came on as a substitute and Morgan Gibbs-White also entered the fray. The win marked a fine few days for Dyche, who has been boosted by his team's impressive form.
The playoff draw will determine Nottingham Forest's opponents in the round of 16, with Fenerbahce or Panathinaikos awaiting them. A victory over either side would be a major coup for Dyche and his team, who could potentially reach the showpiece in Istanbul if they navigate the playoffs successfully.
For Robbie Keane, the loss was disappointing but realistic given the gulf between the teams. The former Republic of Ireland striker has established himself as a fine coach overseas and is expected to lead Ferencvaros into the playoff round against either Celtic or Ludogorets.
The win was a statement of intent by manager Sean Dyche's team, who cruised into the playoffs with ease, ending Ferencvaros' unbeaten record in European competition and their hopes of a top-eight finish. James McAtee sealed the victory with a penalty kick in the second half, as Forest made do with a two-goal advantage at halftime.
The gulf between the teams was evident from the start, with Nottingham Forest's squad boasting a £650 million price tag. The visiting side were outclassed by the home team, who fielded five changes to the starting lineup that won at Brentford just a week earlier.
Forest added three more goals after Ferencvaros' early strike, courtesy of Igor Jesus and Nicolás Domínguez's header, before Callum Hudson-Odoi came on as a substitute and Morgan Gibbs-White also entered the fray. The win marked a fine few days for Dyche, who has been boosted by his team's impressive form.
The playoff draw will determine Nottingham Forest's opponents in the round of 16, with Fenerbahce or Panathinaikos awaiting them. A victory over either side would be a major coup for Dyche and his team, who could potentially reach the showpiece in Istanbul if they navigate the playoffs successfully.
For Robbie Keane, the loss was disappointing but realistic given the gulf between the teams. The former Republic of Ireland striker has established himself as a fine coach overseas and is expected to lead Ferencvaros into the playoff round against either Celtic or Ludogorets.
! Nottingham Forest just smashed it 4-0 at home, no joke! Igor Jesus was on fire 
with those goals, and the team's squad is straight fire 
, worth a whopping £650 million! You can tell they're used to being in big games already. Ferencvaros must've been intimidated from the start 
. Their coach Robbie Keane is always one step ahead, that's for sure 
. Now let's hope they take out Fenerbahce or Panathinaikos and make it all the way to Istanbul 
!
oh man i feel like forest just dominated that game it's like they were cruising on autopilot but at the same time their performance was so convincing it showed just how big of a gap is between them and ferencvaros i mean £650 million price tag yeah it's no wonder they outclassed those guys 
anyway hopefully dyche's team can keep up this form in the playoffs and give everyone a run for their money 
they really did get thrashed by 4-0... I mean, it's impressive how Nottingham Forest dominated the game but at the same time it's a bit concerning that their opponents didn't even put up much of a fight 
. Ferencvaros' unbeaten record in European comp is now shattered and I wonder if they'll be able to bounce back from this 
. The gulf between the two teams was huge, with Forest's squad value being over £650 million... it's going to be interesting to see how they navigate the playoff draw against Fenerbahce or Panathinaikos 
.
! Nottingham Forest's squad looks like a superpower 
, £650 million says it all 
. They completely outplayed the Hungarian side and it's no surprise they ended their unbeaten record in European competition 
️ and sean dyche's team is lookin like a force to be reckoned with 
. And Nicolás Domínguez's header was pure magic! 
. And now they're gonna have this huge advantage in the playoff draw 
. I mean, I'm glad they got that 4-0 win over Ferencvaros and all but sealed their spot in the playoffs. Dyche's team looks super strong right now 
, especially with Jesus and Domínguez scoring those goals. The pressure on Fenerbahce or Panathinaikos is going to be huge if Forest can beat them. Can't wait for the playoff draw! 
forest are gonna take on either fener or panathinaikos and if they win, wow that'd be huge for them... robbie keane's gotta be chuffed for ferencvaros though, he'll take 'em to the playoffs for sure 
!
...
. Their squad, boasting an impressive £650 million price tag, seems to be living up to its billing 
.
. A victory over either side would be a major coup for Dyche and his team, potentially setting them on a path to the showpiece event in Istanbul 
! I'm loving how Sean Dyche's team played with such style and confidence 
. Let's see who they'll draw in the next round, Fenerbahce or Panathinaikos? 
