Jesus Walks On The Trent

Nottingham Forest 4-0 Ferencvaros (UEFA Europa League Group Stages)

As I don’t often get the chance to watch them, I’ve been looking at ticket prices all week to see my team Nottingham Forest play their final Europa League group stage match of this season, they’ve already qualified for the playoffs, not much riding on this one, so it’s annoying to find out prices are around £60/70 per ticket for what is pretty much a meaningless match. A couple of seasons ago fans were moaning that paying £30 was too much, now it seems every top tier game is minimum £60 and we are expected just to put up with it. Modern football hey?

I refuse to pay, as much as I want to go, I’m not parting with £60… So I’ll settle for watching it on the box, until, that is, the phone rings, my Mrs mate who has a season ticket has a couple of spares available, I can take the lad and watch it with him for free.

Ferencvaros are one of those old historical names that pre-date generational Premier League & Champions League followers, in 1965 they won the equivalent of this very competition, beating Juventus in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, before losing the final to Leeds United over two legs three years later, the great Florian Albert was part of their team in both magnificent cup runs.

A Hungarian giant, they have 36 league titles, their most recent last season, under Robbie Keane, the Irish star is new to management but led Maccabi Tel Aviv to the Israeli Premier League in 2023/24, after taking the job in January 2025, he led Ferencvaros to the title last season, they have been doing brilliantly this season too, unbeaten in Europe, flying in the Hungarian league, until defeat on Sunday against fellow title rivals Gyor, leaves them third and four points below top place.

Forest have European history, the two-time European Cup winners are amongst the favourites to go far in this competition, but they have faltered along the way, with defeats to Midtjylland and most recently Braga, last week they were disappointing in defeat but since bounced back by beating Brentford in the Premier League. Reds fans are hoping they can continue their European run towards Istanbul (where the final is held) having already beaten the likes of Porto, Malmo and Utrecht, they drew commendably in their opening fixture at Real Betis, less so impressive was a 0-0 in November at Sturm Graz.

It’s 7pm, an hour until kick off, I’m leaving my home just 3 miles from the ground, I’m parking up in West Bridgford and walking down Central Avenue, past the Trent Bridge Cricket Ground as the crowd of people increase, me and the lad checking the betting form as we cross over Radcliffe Road and towards the Brian Clough Stand where our seats are in the P block cornered up on the left wing.

The Venue

Walking through the packed car park, the stadium lights up the night sky with those huge floodlights dwarfing the bulky looking stands below as people push by to get their place, the queue to get in to the upper tier turnstiles is long, but moving, as we enter with a pre-sent pass on our mobile phone.

I love the steps to the upper tier of the stand, it reminds me of my youth, when Dad first took me to these games, back then the stand to my left was open ended, the Trent End down below right was tiny, pitch roofed, you could see the river above it, the Main Stand opposite, ironically, still the same, today, on finding our seats in the corner of this beautiful red blooded football home, where it all seems to be safe standing in this section, it’s already filling inside, the away following largely dressed in black, a couple of thousand at most, congregated below in the lower tier of the Bridgford End, one has a Derby flag with them, which annoys a few up here, the stand to my left curving around bowl like, the Trent End to my right much bigger these days, two tiered, imposing, the Main Stand, well it’s had a lick of paint, at least.

Rich has arrived, he’s the guy who’s got us tickets and he’s telling me of his time in Braga, where it pissed it down for the whole three days. “It was nothing like Seville in the sunshine” when they played Betis he says.

The Game

Mull of Kintyre is about to be sung as the two teams appear to warm applause, lining up with some Europa music before huddling in circles ahead of kick off, as Forest fans clear their throats with a Paul McCartney (Wings) number.

It’s an open start, Ferencvaros have come to play, but you feel they don’t have the tools to really trouble Forest, although I also felt that about Midtjylland and Braga, they are neat, attractive, but physically smaller, slower, the Forest boys look stronger and more powerful, but a chance for the away side is crashed against the bar early on. A short near post corner flicked against the upright by Zachariassen.

At the other end, every time Dan Ndoye gets the ball on the left wing, his marker stands off, shaking in his boots, Ibrahim Cisse gives the Swiss star far too much respect, Ndoye already has the beating of him, he’s teased himself into the box and forges an opening, but goalkeeper Grof does well.

Forest by now have a spell on top, they come forward from midfield but don’t really support Igor Jesus in attack, Ryan Yates wins the ball and drives before crossing into the box where there is no-one, all bar defender Bence Otvos who puts through his own net.

Suddenly Ferencvaros look like they have been punched by Anthony Joshua, they are all over the place, holes appearing in their defence as Yates again supplies Jesus, on the edge of the area, his low shot finds the corner and gives Forest a comfortable advantage.

The Score

Sean Dyche’s team look good, they have control in midfield, Ryan Yates and Sangare far too fit and strong, defensively Morato and Milenkovic bully their opponents, but it’s the creative spark, Dan Ndoye, James McAtee, two players that have found it tough this season, they are having good games, Ndoye straight line speed and running at the defenders, McAtee neat, left footed, looking for angled passes and invention around the opposition box.

At half time you feel it’s pretty much job done, but a goal would make things nervy, Forest however come out of the traps with intent, Ryan Yates runs forward, he’s like peak Bryan Robson playing against a kids team, bossing it with strength and tenacity, he’s had a shot palmed away, before Jesus heads wide, then Sangare who’s been restrictively brilliant, plays a beautiful lofted ball forward, Jesus needs one touch, he volleys low into the corner, the boy from Brazil is certainly some finisher.

By now the fans are 'again' singing “Igor Jesus walks on the Trent” as those in black below have long stopped bouncing, this is ‘what’ a Premier League team should be doing to much inferior opposition, all be it with great history, the Reds fans chant “Champions of Europe, you’ll never sing that” Oh if only they could be bothered to learn about 1965.

Robbie Keane’s side don’t give up, they in fact crash a bar when a Dele header cannons off the woodwork, but late on Forest are gifted a penalty for a pull inside the box, James McAtee steps up to take it, he’s been brilliant, having had a pretty poor start to his Forest career, you feel the whole crowd are willing this one to go in, not just to gloss more on Forest’s score, but because football fans have feelings, emotion, and we all know what he’s been going through, as the former Manchester City youngster runs towards the ball, a sigh of relief is heard when he smashes home, a big moment for a footballer who might be warming the fans over.

The Stars

Ferencvaros were poor, not surprising to the see the gulf of class so big, against Premier League opposition, they had moments which were probably more due to Forest players not doing their own jobs properly, than themselves breaking down the Reds barrier with talent, Julio Romao was niggly, snapping, and put a shift in the midfield, fellow Brazilian Cadu down the left shown a good engine, Lenny Joseph off the bench looked particularly quick, whilst Dele in attack seemed to be their main goal threat, perhaps Robbie Keane rested a few, knowing the league is more important, I would have liked to have seen 21-year-old forward Zsombor Gruber start, he came on as did former Liverpool midfielder Naby Keita, for a late cameo.

Player for player, Nottingham Forest were brilliant, as you would expect with a 4-0 win, they have a good goalkeeper in Matz Sels, Milenkovic and Morato were at physical ease against inferior weaklings, Neco Williams is becoming a brilliant full back, he can play right, or left, whilst Zach Abbott, a highly regarded centre half from the youth team, he’s been doing well at right back, if and when asked to fill in on first team duty.

In midfield, Ibrahim Sangare has stepped up to become one of the clubs most influential footballers, he offers strength, assurity, confidence, he reads the game exceptionally well, plays passes and gets about with ease, whilst had Ryan Yates been playing in the Hungarian league for the last five years, he would probably have picked up five footballer of the year awards, he was so much better than anyone of his opponents, often overlooked are the powers he possesses, not always the best on the ball, but with energy, tenacity, work rate, size and strength, there’s not many better at what he does, not even in the Premier League.

It was great to see James McAtee enjoying himself with invention and creativity, I have looked at him previously and wondered if he has the strength, he certainly hasn’t had the confidence in his early time at Forest, but I do think he’s on a wavelength, yet to be found by others, hopefully they are starting to understand now what he can do.

Dan Ndoye was another lively player on the night, perhaps not the physical and direct threat that Anthony Elanga was? But an honest footballer, with pace, and goal threat, whilst Igor Jesus really does walk on the Trent, he’s a striker linked recently to Atletico Madrid, now I would love to see him evolve at the City Ground for a few more seasons yet, but I can certainly picture him in a Diego Simeone side, paired up with Julio Alvarez, he could become one of Europe’s most feared attackers.

The Verdict

Forest provided confidence to their fans with that performance, so many pluses, all be it against a side that probably had an eye on other things? Ferencvaros could have qualified for the round of sixteen had they won at the City Ground, but realistically I don’t believe, that they had the belief, to do so, Forest too good, too strong, too organised, too rich in talent, it was in fact their biggest win in Europe since 1979, a year of course, when they went on to win European glory.

The Teams

Nottingham Forest: Matz Sels, Zach Abbott, Nikola Milenkovic (Murillo 76), Morato, Neco Williams (Ola Aina 66), Ryan Yates, Ibrahim Sangare (Morgan Gibbs-White 66), James McAtee, Dan Ndoye, Nico Dominguez (Dilane Bakwa 84), Igor Jesus (Callum Hudson-Odoi 66).

Ferencvaros: David Grof, Ibrahim Cisse, Bence Otvos, Gabor Szalai, Cebrails Makreckis, Julio Romao (Benjamin Golik 90), Gabi Kanichowsky (Naby Keita 73), Jonathan Levi (Lenny Joseph 46), Cadu, Dele (Zsombor Gruber 73), Kristoffer Zachariassen (Adam Madarasz 83).

8:00pm Kick Off. Thursday 29th January 2026, City Ground, Nottingham (26,304).