🔗 Share this article

“Champions of Europe, you’ll never sing that,” was chanted through the stadium as Nottingham Forest followers reveled in another result against Malmö. Much has happened since Francis's winning header clinched the European Cup in the year 1979, but the club continue to cherish those glorious moments. Equally, significant changes have occurred in the five weeks since Sean Dyche took charge, with Forest looking refreshed and earning a comfortable win thanks to goals from Arnaud Kalimuendo, Ryan Yates, and Nikola Milenkovic, boosting their prospects of progressing in the Europa League.

Gaining Steam with Another Straight Victory

For Forest, this result – against a Swedish 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 the previous week's success at Liverpool. While this match was a reminder of the club's European Cup success in name, the game itself was devoid of any significant jeopardy or jitters.

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

The home side leaned into the heritage, honoring the heroes of that era by giving them, along with their visiting counterparts, the red-carpet treatment. Thirteen members of the Malmö's team from then were additionally in attendance. The two clubs enjoyed a meal together prior to the kick-off. Frank Clark, Colin Barrett and their teammates were given a rousing welcome when they gathered on the field a quarter of an hour before the start, and a typically superb tifo was unveiled in the home stand.

Remembering History

“30th May 1979, John Robertson delivered the ball from the left,” displayed one part of a giant tifo, in block capitals. While nobody required a reminder of what happened next, the rest was unfurled as the squads came out from the tunnel. “And there’s Francis,” it stated. Another brilliant display showed Clough observing proceedings beside his assistant Peter Taylor on a bench at the Olympiastadion.

Control from the Outset

So, the hosts had drunk in those beautiful recollections, but what about the performance on the evening? It was strong, as well. They were in full command from the moment Kalimuendo whistled an effort off target inside the opening moments and established a 2-0 advantage by the half-time interval. Nicolás Domínguez sent an early header wide and then Zach Abbott, on his first European start, tried his luck.

It seemed appropriate that Ryan Yates, who came to Forest aged eight, made the initial breakthrough in the Malmö defense captained by their own academy product captain, Jansson, previously of Leeds and Brentford FC. The home centre-back Milenkovic saw a cross deflect off a opponent and into the path of Yates, who swept home with his right foot from just inside the penalty area to register his first goal since last March.

Second Strike Confirms Control

Yates was implicated in Forest’s next goal on the brink of the interval, too, his unmarked header saved by Malmö’s goalkeeper Ellborg but Kalimuendo on hand to tap in the rebound from point-blank range. James McAtee, the midfielder given a seldom start and only his second appearance since the autumn, was the spark, chipping a perfect ball towards his teammate at the far post.

A minute earlier, Hudson-Odoi’s low effort was deflected aside off the defender Rösler, the son of former Manchester City striker Uwe Rösler, and an unmarked the defender had previously had a strong header instinctively saved by Ellborg, who returned in place of the ex- Villa goalkeeper Olsen.

Opponent's Difficulties

This was Malmö’s first match since the domestic league concluded on November 9th, and they found it hard to equal Forest’s intensity. Forest made it 3-0 when the defender applied the finishing touch after his centre-back partner Murillo kept alive a set-piece. Yates had a shot blocked, but the Serbia defender Milenkovic feasted on the leftovers.

The home side then pushed for more, with Hudson-Odoi dinking a right-foot shot on to the bar before Ibrahim Sangaré sent an optimistic effort off target from distance. It was one of those evenings. Dyche, mindful of the upcoming league game here against Brighton, made seven changes from the team that stunned the Reds at Anfield recently, when they also scored three times, though he called on substitutes and further fresh legs during the second half.

Smooth Evening for the Team

It turned out to be a flawless night for Nottingham Forest. The coach could take off Murillo with the match long since boxed off and subsequently brought on 19-year-old full-back Jimmy Sinclair for his first-team debut. Dyche talked about the club legends providing “valuable insights” at regular meetings and, nearly fifty years on, the present squad demonstrated they are capable of producing of excitement, too.