🔗 Share this article

“You’ll never sing that, champions of Europe,” rang out through the stadium as Forest supporters reveled in a further result against their Swedish opponents. A great deal has happened since Francis's winning header clinched the continental trophy in 1979, but the club continue to treasure those glorious moments. Similarly, significant changes have occurred in the five weeks since the manager took charge, with the team appearing reinvigorated and earning a convincing win thanks to goals from Arnaud Kalimuendo, Yates, and Nikola Milenkovic, boosting their prospects of progressing in the European competition.

Gaining Steam with Another Consecutive Victory

For Nottingham Forest, this performance – against a Swedish side that had not played for nearly a month after ending sixth in their home competition – represented a third consecutive win across every tournament and added to the positive energy gained from the previous week's stunning victory at Liverpool. While this fixture was a re-run of Forest’s European Cup success in name, the encounter itself was free of any significant tension or nerves.

It proved to be an occasion filled with sentiment, an longed-for meeting and the third competitive meeting between the teams since the showpiece event over four decades past.

The home side fully embraced the heritage, paying tribute to the heroes of 1979 by providing them, along with their Malmö opponents, the red-carpet treatment. Thirteen members of the Malmö's squad from that time were also present. Both teams enjoyed a dinner together before the kick-off. Forest legends and company received a rousing welcome when they assembled on the field 15 minutes before kick-off, and a characteristically impressive tifo was shown in the home stand.

Remembering History

“30th May 1979, John Robertson delivered the ball from the left,” displayed half of a giant banner, in capital letters. While nobody required a reminder of what happened next, the rest was unfurled as the players came out from the tunnel. “There is Francis,” it continued. Another stunning tifo showed Clough observing events beside his right-hand man Taylor on a dugout at the Olympiastadion.

Dominance from the Start

So, the hosts had soaked up those wonderful recollections, but what about the performance on the evening? It was strong, too. They were in full command from the moment the forward whistled an attempt off target inside two minutes and built a two-goal lead by the half-time interval. Nicolás Domínguez sent an early header off target and then Zach Abbott, on his first European start, tried his luck.

It seemed appropriate that Ryan Yates, who joined Forest aged eight, made the initial breakthrough in the visitors' defense captained by their own academy product captain, Jansson, formerly of Leeds United and Brentford. The Forest defender Nikola Milenkovic saw a cross cannon off a opponent and into the path of Yates, who swept home right-footed from the edge of the box to register his maiden strike since last March.

Second Goal Confirms Control

Yates was implicated in Forest’s next goal on the verge of the interval, too, his free header parried by the shot-stopper Melker Ellborg but the alert forward on hand to convert the rebound from point-blank range. James McAtee, the midfielder given a seldom start and only his second appearance since the autumn, was the catalyst, chipping a perfect ball towards Yates at the far post.

Just moments before, Hudson-Odoi’s driven shot was deflected wide off Malmö defender Rösler, the son of ex- Manchester City striker Uwe Rösler, and an free Milenkovic had previously had a strong header instinctively repelled by Ellborg, who was back in place of the former Aston Villa goalkeeper Olsen.

Opponent's Difficulties

This was the Swedish side's initial game since the domestic league concluded on 9 November, and they struggled to equal Forest’s intensity. Forest made it 3-0 when Milenkovic scored after his defensive colleague Murillo kept alive a set-piece. The captain had a volley stopped, but the Serbia defender Milenkovic feasted on the leftovers.

Forest then went for the jugular, with the winger dinking a right-foot shot on to the crossbar before Sangaré sent an optimistic effort wide from distance. It was that kind of evenings. Dyche, mindful of the upcoming domestic fixture here against Brighton & Hove Albion, implemented multiple alterations from the side that surprised the Reds at their ground recently, when they additionally scored three goals, though he introduced substitutes and Igor Jesus during the final period.

Hiccup-Free Night for Forest

It proved a flawless evening for Nottingham Forest. The coach could take off the defender with the match already boxed off and subsequently brought on 19-year-old full-back Sinclair for his senior bow. Dyche discussed the Forest old guard providing “valuable insights” at regular meetings and, nearly fifty years on, the present squad showed they are capable of a few nuggets of excitement, too.