Forest cruise to comfortable first-leg win in Istanbul
Fenerbahce 0 - 3 Nottingham Forest
Vitor Pereira could hardly have asked for a more convincing opening act as Nottingham Forest’s new boss.
Author | Kieran M
Stadium | Chobani Stadyumu Fenerbahçe Şükrü Saracoğlu Spor Kompleksi
Forest were in control from the outset, dominating possession and tempo to secure the biggest away win in the club’s European history. The result leaves them well placed to reach the last 16, with either Midtjylland or Real Betis lying in wait when the return leg is played at the City Ground on 26 February.
Forest’s performance was marked by ambition and confidence. The tone was set when Murillo, restored to the heart of the defence, surged forward from the back and drove a 20-yard shot beyond Ederson and into the bottom right corner.
The first half was largely one-sided. A Fenerbahçe team featuring several players familiar to Premier League audiences struggled to keep hold of the ball or match Forest’s intensity. Their clearest moment came when Anderson Talisca’s effort struck Murillo’s arm, prompting prolonged appeals for a penalty that were dismissed after a VAR review.
As the home side faltered, the travelling support grew in voice,
The Forest fans were sensing an opportunity to forget Forest’s domestic difficulties that ultimately led to Pereira replacing Sean Dyche. Their optimism was rewarded soon after when Igor Jesus nodded in from close range, converting Morgan Gibbs-White’s flick-on to double the lead.
The goal was Jesus’s seventh of the campaign in the Europa League, surpassing Garry Birtles’ long-standing club record for goals in a single European season, set during Forest’s European Cup triumph in 1979.
Any suggestion that Forest might retreat after the interval was swiftly dismissed. Five minutes into the second half, Jesus turned provider, squaring for Gibbs-White to tap in and seal an emphatic win on a memorable first visit to Turkey for the two-time champions of Europe.
