🔗 Share this article

“You’ll never sing that, champions of Europe,” rang out around the City Ground as Forest followers reveled in another success against Malmö. Much has occurred since Trevor Francis’s decisive header clinched the European Cup back in the year 1979, but the club continue to treasure those glorious moments. Equally, major changes have occurred in the weeks since Sean Dyche took charge, with the team looking refreshed and securing a comfortable win thanks to goals from Arnaud Kalimuendo, Yates, and Milenkovic, boosting their hopes of progressing in the European competition.

Building Momentum with Third Consecutive Victory

For Forest, this result – against a Malmö side that had not played for almost three weeks after ending in sixth place in their domestic league – marked a third consecutive triumph across every tournament and further built on the momentum generated from the previous week's success at Liverpool. While this fixture was a re-run of Forest’s European Cup success in name, the encounter itself was free of any real jeopardy or jitters.

It proved to be an occasion dripping in nostalgia, an eagerly awaited meeting and the third competitive meeting between the sides since the European Cup final over four decades past.

The home side leaned into the history, honoring the heroes of that era by providing them, along with their visiting counterparts, the VIP welcome. 13 members of the Swedish club’s squad from that time were also present. Both teams shared a meal together prior to the kick-off. Frank Clark, Colin Barrett and their teammates received a rousing welcome when they gathered on the pitch 15 minutes before kick-off, and a characteristically superb tifo was unveiled in the home stand.

Recalling the Past

“May 30, 1979, John Robertson crossed it in from the left flank,” read one part of a giant banner, in block capitals. While nobody required a reminder of what happened next, the rest was unfurled as the players emerged from the tunnel. “And there’s Francis,” it stated. Another stunning tifo showed Clough watching events beside his right-hand man Peter Taylor on a dugout at the Olympiastadion.

Control from the Start

So, Forest had drunk in those beautiful recollections, but what about the performance on the night? It was strong, as well. They were in full command from the moment the forward whistled an effort off target inside two minutes and established a two-goal advantage by the half-time interval. Domínguez sent an early header wide and then Zach Abbott, on his first European start, had a go.

It felt fitting that Ryan Yates, who came to the club as an eight-year-old, made the initial breakthrough in the visitors' defense led by their own academy product skipper, Jansson, previously of Leeds United and Brentford. The home centre-back Nikola Milenkovic saw a delivery deflect off a opponent and into the pathway of the midfielder, who swept home with his right foot from the edge of the penalty area to score his maiden strike since last March.

Second Strike Confirms Control

The scorer was implicated in the team's second goal on the verge of the interval, too, his free header saved by Malmö’s shot-stopper Melker Ellborg but the alert forward poised to tap in the loose ball from point-blank range. James McAtee, the playmaker given a rare start and just his second outing since the autumn, was the spark, chipping a perfect ball towards Yates at the back post.

Just moments before, Callum Hudson-Odoi driven shot was deflected aside off the back Rösler, son of ex- Manchester City forward Uwe Rösler, and an unmarked Milenkovic had earlier had a powerful header smartly saved by Ellborg, who returned in place of the ex- Aston Villa goalie Olsen.

Opponent's Difficulties

This was Malmö’s first match since the domestic league concluded on November 9th, and they struggled to equal the home team's intensity. Forest made it 3-0 when the defender applied the finishing touch after his defensive colleague Murillo kept alive a set-piece. Yates had a volley stopped, but the Serbia centre-back Milenkovic pounced on the rebound.

The home side then pushed for more, with Hudson-Odoi dinking a right-foot shot on to the bar before Ibrahim Sangaré sent an ambitious shot wide from 30 yards. It was one of those nights. Dyche, mindful of Sunday’s domestic fixture here against Brighton, implemented multiple alterations from the team that surprised Liverpool at their ground last weekend, when they also netted three times, though he called on substitutes and further fresh legs midway through the final period.

Hiccup-Free Evening for Forest

It proved a flawless night for Nottingham Forest. The coach could take off Murillo with the match already sewn up and later brought on 19-year-old defender Jimmy Sinclair for his senior bow. Dyche discussed the club legends supplying “valuable insights” at weekly get-togethers and, nearly fifty years on, the present squad demonstrated they are able of producing of excitement, too.