🔗 Share this article

“Champions of Europe, you’ll never sing that,” echoed through the stadium as Forest followers celebrated another win against their Swedish opponents. Much has happened since Francis's decisive header secured the European Cup back in the year 1979, but Forest still treasure those glorious moments. Similarly, significant shifts have taken place in the five weeks since the manager assumed control, with the team looking reinvigorated and earning a comfortable victory courtesy of goals from Kalimuendo, Ryan Yates, and Milenkovic, enhancing their hopes of progressing in the Europa League.

Building Momentum with Third Straight Win

For Nottingham Forest, this performance – against a Malmö side that had not played for nearly a month after ending in sixth place in their home competition – marked a third straight win across all competitions and added to the momentum generated from last weekend’s stunning victory at Anfield. While this match was a re-run of the club's historic triumph in spirit, the encounter itself was free of any significant jeopardy or nerves.

It proved to be an event filled with nostalgia, an longed-for meeting and the third meeting between the teams since the showpiece event 46 years ago.

Forest leaned into the heritage, honoring the legends of 1979 by giving them, along with their Malmö counterparts, the VIP welcome. Thirteen members of the Swedish club’s squad from then were also in attendance. Both teams shared a dinner together before the match. Forest legends and their teammates received a rousing welcome when they gathered on the pitch 15 minutes before kick-off, and a typically impressive display was unveiled in the Trent End.

Remembering the Past

“30th May 1979, Robertson crossed it in from the left,” read half of a large banner, in block capitals. While nobody required a reminder of what ensued, the rest was revealed as the players came out from the tunnel. “And there’s Francis,” it continued. A second stunning display showed Clough observing proceedings beside his assistant Taylor on a bench at the Olympiastadion.

Dominance from the Start

So, Forest had drunk in those beautiful recollections, but what about the showing on the night? It was pretty good, too. They were in complete control from the moment Kalimuendo whistled an attempt wide inside two minutes and established a 2-0 advantage by the half-time interval. Nicolás Domínguez sent an early header wide and then Zach Abbott, on his first European start, tried his luck.

It felt fitting that Yates, who joined Forest as an eight-year-old, made the initial breakthrough in the Malmö defence captained by their own homegrown skipper, Jansson, formerly of Leeds and Brentford FC. The Forest defender Nikola Milenkovic saw a delivery deflect off a opponent and into the path of Yates, who finished with his right foot from just inside the box to register his first goal since last March.

Second Strike Seals Dominance

Yates was implicated in the team's next goal on the verge of half-time, as well, his unmarked header saved by Malmö’s goalkeeper Melker Ellborg but Kalimuendo poised to tap in the loose ball from close range. McAtee, the midfielder handed a seldom start and just his second outing since the autumn, was the catalyst, lofting a delicious ball towards his teammate at the far post.

Just moments before, Callum Hudson-Odoi low effort was deflected wide off the back Rösler, the son of former Manchester City striker Uwe Rösler, and an free the defender had earlier had a powerful header instinctively saved by Ellborg, who was back in place of the former Villa goalkeeper Robin Olsen.

Malmö’s Struggles

This was the Swedish side's initial game since the domestic league concluded on November 9th, and they found it hard to equal Forest’s intensity. The Reds extended the lead to three when Milenkovic applied the finishing touch after his defensive colleague Murillo kept alive a set-piece. The captain had a volley stopped, but the Serbia defender Milenkovic feasted on the rebound.

The home side then went for the jugular, with the winger chipping a effort on to the crossbar before Ibrahim Sangaré sent an optimistic shot wide from 30 yards. It was one of those nights. The manager, aware of the upcoming league game here against Brighton & Hove Albion, made multiple alterations from the team that surprised Liverpool at Anfield last weekend, when they also scored three goals, though he introduced Elliot Anderson, Dan Ndoye and further fresh legs during the final period.

Smooth Evening for the Team

It proved a flawless evening for Nottingham Forest. Dyche could take off the defender with the match long since sewn up and subsequently introduced 19-year-old full-back Jimmy Sinclair for his senior bow. He discussed the Forest old guard providing “bits of gold” at regular meetings and, nearly fifty years on, the current crop demonstrated they are capable of producing of excitement, as well.