The Argentina international delivered an outstanding performance at Selhurst Park, frustrating Forest during a dominant first-half spell.
His finest moment came when he somehow denied Liam Delap from close range after Morgan Gibbs-White's effort struck the underside of the crossbar.
“I can't remember too much because the ball was so fast, so close,” Benítez told Sky Sports per Palace website.
“But I tried to do my best, help the team, and I tried to keep my whole body behind the ball.
“I hoped I’d save it. I'm happy for this and for the win, of course.
“I think we played a good game, especially the second-half, and we created more chances.
“And yes, we pushed most of the time as possible to score more goals, and this is the most important thing today.”