🔗 Share this article

“You’ll never sing that, champions of Europe,” echoed around the City Ground as Forest supporters celebrated another win against their Swedish opponents. Much has transpired since Trevor Francis’s winning header secured the continental trophy back in the year 1979, but Forest still cherish those glorious moments. Similarly, significant changes have taken place in the five weeks since Sean Dyche took charge, with the team looking refreshed and earning a convincing win courtesy of goals from Arnaud Kalimuendo, Ryan Yates, and Milenkovic, boosting their hopes of advancing in the Europa League.

Gaining Steam with Third Consecutive Win

For Forest, this performance – against a Malmö side that had been inactive for almost three weeks after ending in sixth place in their home competition – marked a third consecutive win across all competitions and further built on the positive energy gained from last weekend’s success at Anfield. While this match was a re-run of Forest’s historic triumph in spirit, the game itself was devoid of any real tension or nerves.

This was an occasion filled with nostalgia, an longed-for meeting and the third meeting between the teams since the showpiece event 46 years ago.

Forest fully embraced the heritage, paying tribute to the heroes of that era by providing them, along with their Malmö opponents, the VIP welcome. Thirteen members of the Swedish club’s squad from then were additionally in attendance. The two clubs shared a meal together prior to the kick-off. Forest legends and their teammates received a tumultuous reception when they assembled on the field a quarter of an hour before the start, and a characteristically impressive tifo was shown in the home stand.

Remembering History

“30th May 1979, Robertson delivered the ball from the left,” read half of a large tifo, in capital letters. While nobody needed reminding of what happened next, the remaining section was unfurled as the players emerged from the dressing rooms. “There is Francis,” it stated. Another brilliant display depicted Brian Clough observing events beside his assistant Taylor on a bench at the Olympiastadion.

Control from the Start

So, the hosts had drunk in those beautiful memories, but what about the showing on the evening? It was impressive, too. They were in complete control from the moment Kalimuendo fired an effort wide inside the opening moments and established a two-goal lead by the break. Nicolás Domínguez sent an early header wide and then Zach Abbott, on his first European start, had a go.

It felt fitting that Yates, who joined the club as an eight-year-old, made the initial breakthrough in the Malmö defence captained by their own academy product captain, Pontus Jansson, formerly of Leeds and Brentford. The Forest defender Milenkovic saw a delivery cannon off a defender and into the pathway of the midfielder, who swept home with his right foot from the edge of the box to register his first goal since March.

Second Goal Confirms Dominance

Yates was involved in the team's next goal on the verge of the interval, too, his free header parried by Malmö’s goalkeeper Melker 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 September, was the catalyst, chipping a perfect ball towards his teammate at the far post.

A minute earlier, Hudson-Odoi’s driven shot was turned aside off the back Colin Rösler, the son of former Man City striker Uwe, and an unmarked the defender had previously had a powerful header smartly repelled by the keeper, who returned in place of the ex- Villa goalkeeper Olsen.

Malmö’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 Forest’s intensity. The Reds extended the lead to three when the defender scored after his defensive colleague Murillo headed back a set-piece. Yates had a shot blocked, but the Serbia defender Milenkovic pounced on the leftovers.

Forest then went for the jugular, with Hudson-Odoi dinking a effort on to the crossbar before Sangaré sent an ambitious effort wide from 30 yards. It was one of those evenings. Dyche, aware of Sunday’s league game here against Brighton, made multiple alterations from the team that stunned Liverpool at Anfield last weekend, when they additionally scored three goals, though he called on Elliot Anderson, Dan Ndoye and Igor Jesus midway through the second half.

Smooth Night for the Team

It proved a flawless night for Nottingham Forest. Dyche could take off the defender with the match long since sewn up and subsequently introduced teenage full-back Jimmy Sinclair for his first-team debut. Dyche talked about the Forest old guard providing “valuable insights” at regular meetings and, nearly fifty years on, the current crop demonstrated they are able of producing of excitement, too.