Nottingham Forest Clinches 3-0 Victory Over Fenerbahce In Europa League Play-Off As Pereira Begins Tenure

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Nottingham Forest moved close to the Europa League last 16 with a 3-0 away victory over Fenerbahce, giving Vitor Pereira a strong first match in charge. Murillo, Igor Jesus and Morgan Gibbs-White scored, while Forest’s defence restricted Fenerbahce to few clear chances, leaving a commanding lead before the second leg at the City Ground.

The visitors controlled most attacking numbers, creating 2.86 expected goals from 23 shots, compared with Fenerbahce’s 0.48 from six efforts. Jesus increased his Europa League tally this season to seven goals, the highest by any Nottingham Forest player in a single major European campaign and the top total in the 2025-26 tournament so far.

Forest’s opener arrived after an early warning. Mert Muldur headed over for Fenerbahce, then Murillo collected possession and drove past defenders before striking low into the bottom-right corner from distance in the 21st minute. The hosts appealed for a penalty after the ball hit Murillo’s arm, but VAR judged it was by the defender’s side.

Fenerbahce’s frustration increased before half-time. From a corner, Gibbs-White flicked the ball on at the near post and Jesus nodded in from close range. Five minutes after the interval, Jesus turned provider, squaring to Gibbs-White, whose shot squeezed through goalkeeper Ederson’s legs despite Gibbs-White losing balance inside the penalty area.

Pereira, facing former club Fenerbahce, saw Nottingham Forest maintain discipline after establishing the three-goal cushion. Marco Asensio’s flick was comfortably gathered by Stefan Ortega, while Callum Hudson-Odoi forced a save from Ederson at the other end. Forest’s control allowed Pereira to rest several important players well before full-time in Turkiye.

Jesus remained central to Forest’s attacking threat. The Brazilian forward generated 1.23 expected goals from three shots and added an assist, yet completed only eight passes before being substituted in the 61st minute. With a three-goal advantage and strong underlying numbers, Nottingham Forest carried a clear upper hand into the return fixture at the City Ground.