19 hours ago
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Igor Jesus’ late goal sealed Nottingham Forest a 2-1 win in Utrecht and boosted their hopes of a top-eight finish in the Europa League group phase.
Arnaud Kalimuendo’s second-half opener for Forest was cancelled out by Utrecht substitute Mike van der Hoorn before Jesus stepped off the bench to fire home the visitors’ late winner.
Forest bounced back from last weekend’s disappointing defeat at Everton to secure their third win in this season’s competition - their first on the road - and move on to 11 points after six matches. Murillo, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Douglas Luiz returned from injury as Sean Dyche made nine changes from Saturday’s 3-0 loss, and his re-jigged side made an impressive start to the first competitive meeting between the two teams.
Callum Hudson-Odoi forced Utrecht goalkeeper Vasilios Barkas into a low save and Zinchenko wasted a golden chance in the 11th minute when he fired wide following Dan Ndoye’s neat flick inside the penalty area.
Utrecht did not test Forest’s replacement goalkeeper John Victor - Matz Sels was sidelined due to a groin injury - until the 24th minute when Miguel Rodriguez’s long-range effort was saved in the top corner. That triggered a spell of pressure for Utrecht and although Victor was not troubled again before the break, it was a more even contest.
Forest made another quick start in the second period as Kalimuendo broke the deadlock in the 52nd minute. The former Rennes striker wriggled clear of three defenders on the edge of the area and after a lucky rebound, buried an angled left-footed finish inside the far post.
But Utrecht levelled with a rare chance of their own, and through questionable Forest defending, when the unmarked Van der Hoorn ghosted in at the far post to head home Souffian El Karouani’s free-kick in the 73rd minute.
The home side’s confidence soared and a partisan home crowd sensed a winner, but it was Forest who had the last word. Ndoye’s thumping header from Hudson-Odoi’s left-wing cross was well saved by Barkas, but substitute Jesus turned home the rebound just a minute after replacing Kalimuendo.
Barkas’ sprawling save kept out Hudson-Odoi’s fizzing shot before Siebe Horemans blazed Utrecht’s hopes of a stoppage-time equaliser high and wide.
Danny Rohl’s Rangers again found the Europa League too much of a burden with a 2-1 defeat by Ferencvaros in Budapest. Gers striker Bojan Miovski scored an acrobatic opener in the 27th minute with the visitors’ first shot on goal.
However, Bence Otvos levelled for Robbie Keane’s side in the fifth of five added minutes at the end of the first half when the Ibrox side let their guard down. After the break, they succumbed again in the 73rd minute when Ferencvaros striker Barnabas Varga easily headed in from close range to leave the Gers effectively out of the tournament.
Rohl has won five in seven in the William Hill Premiership since taking over from Russell Martin but has taken just one point from 12 in Europe, with the Light Blues winning one point in total from six of eight league phase fixtures. The home side passed up a glorious chance in the third minute when attacker Bamidele Yusuf easily ran through the Gers defence and screwed his shot wide of the target.
The visitors settled but in the 18th minute goalkeeper Jack Butland failed to collect a high ball following a corner and Toon Raemaekers poked the ball wide from 12 yards.
The Hungarian side, playing in green and white hoops so closely associated with the Gers’ Old Firm rivals Celtic, regained the upper hand but they were undone with a moment of magic. Miovski’s spectacular hitch kick from six yards, after Danilo tried to get on to a cross from Max Aarons, appeared to be from an offside position but there was huge cheers from the Gers support when VAR confirmed the goal.
Moments later, Yusuf took a clever pass from Otvos but hit the side-netting from eight yards but just when it looked like Rohl’s side would escape down the tunnel at the interval with a lead, the 27-year-old Hungary attacker swept in a cut-back from captain Ibrahim Cisse, with the ball taking a slight deflection off Nasser Djiga before speeding past Butland.
In the 50th minute, with a chasm in the Gers defence, only a terrific recovery tackle from Djiga prevented Varga getting a shot in against Butland with the Light Blues dealing with the corner. The stretching Djiga then blocked an effort from Yusuf as Rangers remained penned in.
Ferencvaros remained on top and forged ahead when Callum O’Dowda’s cross from the left was headed in by Varga who was given a free header by Gers defender Emmanuel Fernandez. In the 87th minute Curtis had a decent shot saved by Ferencvaros keeper David Grof but there was no late siege.
More to follow…
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