Nottingham Forest left the Chobani Stadium with a statement win, beating Fenerbahçe 3-0 in the UEFA Europa League Playoff round. Goals from Murillo, Igor Jesus and Morgan Gibbs-White did the damage in a match where Forest’s cutting edge met Fenerbahçe’s frustration. The hosts had more of the ball, but Forest had far more of the chances.
How the game was won
Murillo opened the scoring on 21 minutes with a sweet left-foot strike after Elliot Anderson’s pass found him in space. Forest doubled their lead before the break when Anderson’s cross was nudged on by Gibbs-White and headed in by Igor Jesus at 43 minutes. The third arrived five minutes after half-time, with Igor Jesus turning provider for Gibbs-White, who finished coolly with his right foot.
Fenerbahçe’s evening also took a turn when captain Milan Škriniar went off injured on 26 minutes, replaced by Çağlar Söyüncü. The hosts never found a way through and finished with five yellow cards, including late bookings for Fred and Mattéo Guendouzi. Nottingham Forest kept control and managed the game well to see out a clean sheet in Istanbul.
The numbers say it all
Possession read 57-43 to Fenerbahçe, but Forest led the key metrics: 23 shots to 6, 10 corners to 3 and an expected goals tally of 2.74 to 0.48. The visitors had 32 touches in the opposition box, compared to just 5 for the hosts. That gap told the story of who created the better chances.
Ederson made four saves and five punches for Fenerbahçe, yet goals prevented stood at -0.84, underlining Forest’s shot quality. Ola Aina and Neco Williams were busy in both directions, while Forest’s midfield broke up play with 13 interceptions to Fenerbahçe’s 6. On Sofascore, you could see it forming early in the shot map and xG trend.
Standout performers and Sofascore Ratings
Murillo earned a Sofascore Rating of 8.0, pairing a composed goal with strong defensive work and a key pass. Igor Jesus posted a 7.9 with a goal and an assist, plus vital link-up play in transition. Gibbs-White also scored 7.9 thanks to a goal, an assist and two big chances created.
For Fenerbahçe, Guendouzi’s 6.9 reflected steady distribution with 68 accurate passes, while Jayden Oosterwolde led all home players with 86 total passes. Söyüncü had to step in early and later saw yellow at 78 minutes, summing up a tense second half for the hosts.
What this means
Forest leave Istanbul with a commanding advantage in the Europa League knockout tie. The approach was clear and effective, built on quick wide play, decisive final-third runs and set-piece pressure. Fenerbahçe will need far more penalty-area presence and cleaner chance creation in the return meeting.
You can dive deeper into all player stats, xG charts and every Sofascore Rating on Sofascore, where the full match data paints the clearest picture of Forest’s 3-0 win.