Nottingham Forest concluded their summer pre-season schedule this afternoon with a comfortable win over French top-flight side Brest at the City Ground.
Luca Netz stole the show as Forest secured a comfortable victory in their final hit-out before the Premier League opener against Leeds next weekend.
Forest headed into the interval 2-0 ahead, with the German full-back putting in a standout first-half display.
Netz was fouled by Mama Balde to win a penalty, which Chris Wood duly converted from twelve yards.
Netz then got on the scoresheet himself, finishing off a slick team move that saw Callum Hudson-Odoi find Nicolas Dominguez, whose first-time ball through to Netz was tucked away.
Forest controlled proceedings at the City Ground, where the first-team squad had been given the afternoon off following their behind-closed-doors match against Coventry City on Tuesday.
The club also bid farewell to striker Taiwo Awoniyi at the break, with the first-team squad and staff forming a guard of honour before players marked his impending move to Coventry City with the traditional bumps.
The second period saw limited opportunities for both teams as Forest protected their advantage, though a more accurate pass from Arnaud Kalimuendo might have picked out Dilane Bakwa, but the ball was overcooked and the chance to extend the lead disappeared.
Player ratings:
John Victor: Hardly tested before the break aside from dealing with a couple of backpasses that caused some nervous moments in the stands, but he handled them confidently. 7
Jair Cunha: The centre-back had the sizeable task of marking Ludovic Ajorque but never appeared troubled. 7
Zach Abbott: Apart from Brest’s bright opening five minutes, the defender was rarely troubled and it was a routine afternoon for him. 7
Morato: The Brazilian revelled in the conditions and was never really tested by Brest’s attacking play. 7
Luca Netz: The outstanding performer. Quick feet, strong technique, impressive stamina. Happy to push forward and support attacks. Won the penalty and capped a fine team move with his own goal. 8
Nicolas Dominguez: The pass that released Netz was spot on and the full-back did the rest. A quality display in central midfield. 7
Xaver Schlager: Impressed in the middle of the park in what was a dominant showing for Oliver Glasner’s side. 7
Eric Da Silva Moreira: Another effective performer and a useful outlet on the right. Had little defensive work to do, but handled what came his way well. 7
Chris Wood: Stepped up to take the penalty and struck it with conviction. Offered a useful target man option for Forest. 7
Callum Hudson-Odoi: Played 45 minutes as he builds up his match fitness. Assisted the second goal. 7
Arnaud Kalimuendo: Shifted from the right to the left after the break and produced some dangerous runs that unsettled Brest’s defence. 7
Substitutes:
Omari Hutchinson (Hudson-Odoi 45): Demonstrated some good speed. 6
Dilane Bakwa (Wood 66): Looked to stretch the Brest defence. 6
Omar Richards (Cunha 77): Assisted in preserving the clean sheet. 6
Tyler Bindon (Abbott 77): As above. 6