Nottingham Forest F.C. began life under Vítor Pereira with a commanding 3-0 first-leg win over Fenerbahce S.K. in Istanbul, during their UEFA Europa League knockout play-off tie.

One of Pereira’s early decisions as Forest boss was to start Murillo after a two-game injury layoff. While the centre-back was expected to focus on defensive duties, he made a decisive impact at the other end, charging from the halfway line and striking a low shot into the bottom corner from outside the box midway through the first half to score his first European goal.

Buoyed by Murillo’s strike, Forest dominated the opening period and doubled their advantage just before halftime. Morgan Gibbs-White flicked on a near-post corner, allowing Igor Jesus to head in from close range, marking his seventh UEFA Europa League goal of the season.

Fenerbahce attempted to respond early in the second half, with Sidiki Cherif forcing Stefan Ortega into his first save of the match. However, just minutes later, Gibbs-White added a third goal to seal the result. Despite stumbling, he guided the ball in from Jesus’s squared pass after Omari Hutchinson’s clever setup sent the pair into the box.

Ederson crucial saves from Callum Hudson-Odoi and Neco Williams late in the game.

Forest will be satisfied with a three-goal cushion, ending a three-game winless run and putting themselves in a strong position to reach the last 16 ahead of next week’s second leg at the City Ground.