🔗 Share this article

“You’ll never sing that, champions of Europe,” echoed through the City Ground as Forest followers reveled in another result against Malmö. A great deal has transpired since Trevor Francis’s winning header secured the European Cup back in the year 1979, but Forest continue to treasure those glorious moments. Equally, major changes have taken place in the weeks since the manager assumed control, with the team appearing reinvigorated and securing a comfortable win thanks to goals from Arnaud Kalimuendo, Ryan Yates, and Milenkovic, enhancing their prospects of advancing in the European competition.

Building Steam with Another Straight Win

For Forest, this performance – against a Swedish side that had not played for nearly a month after finishing in sixth place in their domestic league – marked a third straight win across every tournament and added to the momentum generated from the previous week's success at Liverpool. While this match was a re-run of Forest’s European Cup triumph in name, the encounter itself was devoid of any real jeopardy or nerves.

It proved to be an occasion dripping in sentiment, an longed-for meeting and the third clash between the sides since the European Cup final over four decades past.

The home side leaned into the history, paying tribute to the heroes of that era by providing them, along with their Malmö counterparts, the VIP welcome. 13 members of the Swedish club’s squad from that time were additionally present. Both teams shared a dinner together prior to the kick-off. Forest legends and their teammates received a rousing welcome when they assembled on the field a quarter of an hour before the start, and a typically superb display was unveiled in the home stand.

Remembering History

“30th May 1979, Robertson delivered the ball from the left,” read half of a giant banner, in capital letters. While nobody needed reminding of what ensued, the rest was unfurled as the players emerged from the dressing rooms. “There is Francis,” it stated. Another stunning tifo showed Clough watching proceedings beside his right-hand man Peter Taylor on a dugout at the Olympiastadion.

Control from the Outset

So, the hosts had soaked up those beautiful memories, but what about the performance on the evening? It was strong, as well. They were in complete control from the moment the forward fired an attempt wide inside the opening moments and established a 2-0 lead by the break. Nicolás Domínguez sent an early header wide and then Abbott, on his first European start, tried his luck.

It seemed appropriate that Ryan Yates, who joined the club aged eight, made the initial breakthrough in the visitors' defence captained by their own homegrown captain, Jansson, formerly of Leeds and Brentford. The Forest centre-back Milenkovic saw a cross deflect off a defender and into the path of Yates, who swept home right-footed from just inside the penalty area to score his first goal since last March.

Another Strike Confirms Dominance

Yates was involved in the team's next goal on the brink of the interval, as well, his free header parried by Malmö’s shot-stopper Melker Ellborg but Kalimuendo on hand to tap in the rebound from point-blank range. McAtee, the playmaker given a seldom start and only his second outing since September, was the spark, lofting a delicious ball towards Yates at the far post.

Just moments before, Hudson-Odoi’s low effort was turned wide off the back Colin Rösler, the son of former Man City forward Uwe Rösler, and an unmarked the defender also previously had a strong header instinctively saved by the keeper, who returned in place of the former Aston Villa goalie Olsen.

Opponent's Difficulties

This was Malmö’s first match since the domestic league concluded on 9 November, and they struggled to equal the home team's energy. The Reds made it 3-0 when the defender scored after his defensive colleague Murillo kept alive a corner. The captain had a volley blocked, but the Serbia centre-back Milenkovic pounced on the rebound.

The home side then went for the jugular, with Hudson-Odoi dinking a effort on to the crossbar before Sangaré sent an optimistic shot wide from distance. It was one of those evenings. The manager, mindful of Sunday’s league game here against Brighton & Hove Albion, implemented multiple alterations from the team that surprised the Reds at Anfield recently, when they also netted three times, though he introduced Elliot Anderson, Dan Ndoye and Igor Jesus during the final period.

Hiccup-Free Evening for Forest

It turned out to be a hiccup-free evening for Nottingham Forest. The coach could withdraw Murillo with the game already boxed off and subsequently introduced teenage defender Sinclair for his first-team debut. Dyche talked about the Forest old guard providing “bits of gold” at regular meetings and, almost five decades on, the current crop showed they are capable of producing of excitement, as well.