🔗 Share this article

“Champions of Europe, you’ll never sing that,” rang out around the stadium as Nottingham Forest supporters celebrated a further success against their Swedish opponents. Much has occurred since Francis's decisive header clinched the European Cup in the year 1979, but Forest still treasure those glorious moments. Equally, major changes have taken place in the five weeks since Sean Dyche took charge, with Forest looking refreshed and earning a convincing win courtesy of goals from Arnaud Kalimuendo, Ryan Yates, and Nikola Milenkovic, boosting their hopes of advancing in the Europa League.

Building Steam with Third Consecutive Win

For Nottingham Forest, this performance – against a Swedish side that had been inactive for nearly a month after finishing in sixth place in their home competition – represented a third straight win across all competitions and further built on the positive energy gained from the previous week's stunning victory at Anfield. While this match was a reminder of Forest’s European Cup success in name, the encounter itself was free of any real tension or jitters.

It proved to be an event dripping in sentiment, an longed-for reunion and the third competitive meeting between the teams since the European Cup final over four decades past.

The home side leaned into the heritage, paying tribute to the legends of 1979 by providing them, along with their visiting counterparts, the red-carpet treatment. Thirteen members of the Malmö's team from then were also present. The two clubs shared a meal together before the match. Forest legends and company received a rousing welcome when they assembled on the pitch a quarter of an hour before the start, and a characteristically superb tifo was shown in the home stand.

Recalling History

“May 30, 1979, Robertson crossed it in from the left,” read half of a large tifo, in capital letters. While nobody required a reminder of what ensued, the remaining section was revealed as the players came out from the dressing rooms. “And there’s Francis,” it stated. A second brilliant display depicted Clough observing proceedings beside his right-hand man Peter Taylor on a bench at the Munich stadium.

Control from the Start

So, Forest had soaked up those wonderful recollections, but what about the performance on the evening? It was impressive, too. They were in full command from the moment the forward whistled an effort off target inside the opening moments and built a 2-0 lead by the break. Nicolás Domínguez sent an early header off target and then Zach Abbott, on his maiden European start, had a go.

It felt fitting that Yates, who joined Forest aged eight, made the initial breakthrough in the visitors' defence led by their own homegrown captain, Jansson, formerly of Leeds United and Brentford. The Forest defender Milenkovic saw a delivery deflect off a opponent and into the pathway of Yates, who finished right-footed from just inside the box to register his maiden strike since March.

Second Goal Seals Control

Yates was implicated in Forest’s next goal on the verge of the interval, as well, his unmarked header saved by Malmö’s shot-stopper Ellborg but Kalimuendo poised to convert the loose ball from point-blank range. McAtee, the playmaker given a seldom start and only his second outing since the autumn, was the catalyst, lofting a perfect ball towards Yates at the back post.

A minute earlier, Callum Hudson-Odoi low effort was turned aside off Malmö defender Colin Rösler, son of former Manchester City striker Uwe Rösler, and an free Milenkovic also earlier had a strong header smartly saved by the keeper, who returned in place of the former Villa goalie Olsen.

Opponent's Difficulties

This was the Swedish side's first match since the domestic league concluded on 9 November, and they found it hard to equal the home team's intensity. The Reds extended the lead to three when Milenkovic scored after his defensive colleague Murillo kept alive a set-piece. Yates had a shot stopped, but the Serbia defender Milenkovic feasted on the leftovers.

The home side then pushed for more, with the winger chipping a effort on to the bar before Sangaré sent an optimistic effort wide from 30 yards. It was one of those nights. The manager, aware of the upcoming league game here against Brighton, implemented seven changes from the side that stunned the Reds at their ground recently, when they also scored three goals, though he introduced substitutes and further fresh legs midway through the final period.

Smooth Evening for Forest

It proved a hiccup-free evening for Nottingham Forest. The coach could take off Murillo with the match already boxed off and subsequently brought on 19-year-old full-back Jimmy Sinclair for his first-team debut. He talked about the Forest old guard supplying “bits of gold” at regular meetings and, almost five decades on, the present squad demonstrated they are able of a few nuggets of thrills, as well.