🔗 Share this article

“You’ll never sing that, champions of Europe,” echoed through the City Ground as Forest supporters reveled in another success against Malmö. Much has occurred since Trevor Francis’s decisive header clinched the European Cup in 1979, but Forest continue to hold dear those memories. Equally, significant changes have occurred in the weeks since Sean Dyche took charge, with Forest appearing reinvigorated and securing a comfortable victory thanks to goals from Kalimuendo, Ryan Yates, and Nikola Milenkovic, enhancing their hopes of advancing in the European competition.

Building Steam with Another Consecutive Win

For Nottingham Forest, this result – against a Malmö side that had been inactive for almost three weeks after finishing sixth in their domestic league – marked a third consecutive win across every tournament and added to the positive energy generated from last weekend’s success at Liverpool. While this match was a re-run of the club's European Cup triumph in name, the game itself was free of any real jeopardy or nerves.

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

The home side fully embraced the history, paying tribute to the heroes of that era by providing them, along with their Malmö opponents, the VIP welcome. 13 members of the Swedish club’s team from then were also in attendance. Both teams shared a meal together prior to the match. Frank Clark, Colin Barrett and their teammates received a tumultuous welcome when they gathered on the pitch 15 minutes before kick-off, and a characteristically impressive display was shown in the Trent End.

Recalling the Past

“30th May 1979, Robertson crossed it in from the left,” read one part of a giant banner, in block capitals. While nobody needed reminding of what ensued, the rest was revealed as the squads came out from the tunnel. “And there’s Francis,” it continued. Another brilliant display depicted Brian Clough watching events beside his right-hand man Taylor on a dugout at the Olympiastadion.

Dominance from the Start

So, Forest had soaked up those wonderful recollections, but what about the showing on the night? It was impressive, too. They were in complete control from the moment Kalimuendo fired an effort off target inside the opening moments and established a two-goal advantage by the break. Domínguez sent an early header off target and then Abbott, on his first European start, tried his luck.

It felt fitting that Ryan Yates, who came to the club aged eight, made the initial breakthrough in the visitors' defence captained by their own academy product skipper, Pontus Jansson, previously of Leeds United and Brentford. The home defender Nikola Milenkovic saw a cross deflect off a defender and into the path of the midfielder, who finished with his right foot from just inside the penalty area to register his maiden strike since March.

Another Strike Seals Control

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 on hand to convert the rebound from point-blank range. James McAtee, the midfielder given a seldom start and only his second outing since the autumn, was the catalyst, chipping a delicious ball towards Yates at the far post.

A minute earlier, Hudson-Odoi’s low effort was deflected wide off Malmö defender Colin Rösler, son of ex- Man City forward Uwe, and an free Milenkovic had previously had a strong header instinctively repelled by Ellborg, who returned in place of the ex- Aston Villa goalie Robin Olsen.

Malmö’s Difficulties

This was the Swedish side's first match since the Swedish Allsvenskan concluded on November 9th, and they found it hard to equal Forest’s intensity. Forest extended the lead to three when Milenkovic scored after his defensive colleague Murillo headed back a corner. The captain had a volley blocked, but the Serbian centre-back Milenkovic pounced on the leftovers.

Forest then went for the jugular, with Hudson-Odoi dinking a effort on to the crossbar before Ibrahim Sangaré sent an optimistic effort wide from distance. It was that kind of nights. The manager, mindful of Sunday’s league game here against Brighton & Hove Albion, implemented multiple alterations from the side that stunned Liverpool at their ground last weekend, when they additionally scored three times, though he introduced Elliot Anderson, Dan Ndoye and Igor Jesus during the second half.

Smooth Evening for Forest

It proved a flawless evening for Nottingham Forest. The coach could take off Murillo with the game already boxed off and subsequently brought on teenage defender Jimmy Sinclair for his first-team debut. Dyche discussed the Forest old guard providing “bits of gold” at regular meetings and, nearly fifty years on, the present squad demonstrated they are capable of a few nuggets of excitement, as well.