🔗 Share this article

“You’ll never sing that, champions of Europe,” rang out through the ground as Forest supporters celebrated a further win against their Swedish opponents. Much has happened since Trevor Francis’s decisive header clinched the European Cup in the year 1979, but Forest continue to hold dear those glorious moments. Similarly, major shifts have occurred in the five weeks since Sean Dyche assumed control, with Forest looking refreshed and securing a convincing victory thanks to goals from Arnaud Kalimuendo, Ryan Yates, and Nikola Milenkovic, boosting their prospects of advancing in the European competition.

Building Steam with Third Straight Win

For Nottingham Forest, this result – against a Malmö side that had been inactive for almost three weeks after finishing in sixth place in their home competition – represented a third consecutive win across all competitions and further built on the momentum generated from last weekend’s success at Anfield. While this fixture was a reminder of Forest’s historic success in spirit, the encounter itself was free of any real jeopardy or nerves.

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

The home side fully embraced the history, paying tribute to the legends of 1979 by giving them, along with their visiting counterparts, the red-carpet treatment. Thirteen members of the Swedish club’s squad from then were additionally in attendance. Both teams shared a dinner together prior to the match. Forest legends and company were given a tumultuous welcome when they assembled on the pitch 15 minutes before the start, and a characteristically impressive tifo was shown in the Trent End.

Recalling History

“30th May 1979, John Robertson crossed it in from the left,” displayed one part of a large banner, in capital letters. While nobody needed reminding of what happened next, the rest was unfurled as the players came out from the tunnel. “And there’s Francis,” it continued. Another brilliant tifo showed Brian Clough observing proceedings beside his right-hand man Peter Taylor on a dugout at the Olympiastadion.

Dominance from the Outset

So, the hosts had soaked up those beautiful recollections, but what about the showing on the evening? It was pretty good, as well. They were in complete control from the moment the forward whistled an attempt off target inside the opening moments and established a 2-0 lead by the break. Domínguez sent an early header off target and then Zach Abbott, on his maiden European start, had a go.

It seemed appropriate that Ryan Yates, who came to the club as an eight-year-old, made the initial breakthrough in the Malmö defence led by their own academy product skipper, Jansson, previously of Leeds United and Brentford FC. The home centre-back Nikola Milenkovic saw a delivery cannon off a defender and into the pathway of the midfielder, who swept home with his right foot from just inside the box to register his maiden strike since last March.

Another Strike Confirms Control

Yates was implicated in Forest’s next goal on the brink of half-time, as well, his unmarked header saved by the shot-stopper Melker Ellborg but the alert forward poised to convert the loose ball from close range. McAtee, the playmaker given a rare start and only his second appearance since the autumn, was the spark, lofting a delicious ball towards Yates at the back post.

A minute earlier, Callum Hudson-Odoi low effort was turned wide off Malmö defender Colin Rösler, son of former Manchester City forward Uwe, and an unmarked the defender also previously had a powerful header smartly repelled by the keeper, who returned in place of the ex- Aston Villa goalkeeper Robin Olsen.

Malmö’s Struggles

This was the Swedish side's initial game since the Swedish Allsvenskan concluded on November 9th, and they struggled to match the home team's intensity. Forest made it 3-0 when Milenkovic applied the finishing touch after his defensive colleague Murillo headed back a set-piece. The captain had a volley stopped, but the Serbia centre-back Milenkovic feasted on the rebound.

The home side then pushed for more, with the winger chipping a effort on to the bar before Ibrahim Sangaré sent an ambitious shot off target from distance. It was one of those nights. The manager, aware of Sunday’s domestic fixture here against Brighton, made seven changes from the side that stunned the Reds at Anfield last weekend, when they additionally scored three goals, though he introduced substitutes and Igor Jesus midway through the final period.

Hiccup-Free Night for Forest

It proved a hiccup-free night for Nottingham Forest. Dyche could take off the defender with the match long since boxed off and subsequently introduced 19-year-old full-back Jimmy Sinclair for his senior bow. He discussed the Forest old guard supplying “valuable insights” at weekly get-togethers and, almost five decades on, the current crop demonstrated they are capable of a few nuggets of excitement, as well.