🔗 Share this article

“You’ll never sing that, champions of Europe,” echoed through the ground as Nottingham Forest supporters celebrated a further win against Malmö. Much has happened since Francis's decisive header secured the continental trophy back in 1979, but Forest continue to treasure those glorious moments. Similarly, significant shifts have taken place in the five weeks since Sean Dyche assumed control, with Forest looking reinvigorated and securing a convincing victory courtesy of goals from Kalimuendo, Ryan Yates, and Nikola Milenkovic, enhancing their hopes of progressing in the Europa League.

Building Momentum with Third Consecutive Victory

For Forest, this performance – against a Swedish side that had been inactive for nearly a month after finishing sixth in their domestic league – marked a third consecutive win across every tournament and further built on the positive energy generated from the previous week's stunning victory at Anfield. While this fixture was a reminder of the club's historic success in spirit, the game itself was devoid of any significant jeopardy or nerves.

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

The home side leaned into the heritage, paying tribute to the legends of that era by providing them, along with their Malmö counterparts, the red-carpet treatment. Thirteen members of the Swedish club’s squad from then were also in attendance. Both teams shared a dinner together before the kick-off. Forest legends 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 shown in the home stand.

Recalling History

“May 30, 1979, Robertson crossed it in from the left flank,” displayed half of a giant tifo, in block capitals. While no one needed reminding of what happened next, the remaining section was unfurled as the players emerged from the tunnel. “And there’s Francis,” it continued. Another brilliant display depicted Clough observing events beside his assistant Taylor on a dugout at the Munich stadium.

Control from the Start

So, Forest had drunk in those wonderful recollections, but what about the performance on the evening? It was strong, as well. They were in complete control from the moment the forward fired an effort wide inside the opening moments and built a 2-0 lead by the half-time interval. Domínguez sent an early header off target and then Zach Abbott, on his first European start, tried his luck.

It felt fitting that Ryan Yates, who joined Forest aged eight, made the initial breakthrough in the visitors' defence captained by their own homegrown skipper, Jansson, formerly of Leeds United and Brentford. The home centre-back Milenkovic saw a delivery deflect off a opponent and into the path of the midfielder, who finished with his right foot from the edge of the penalty area to register his first goal since March.

Another Goal Confirms Control

The scorer was implicated in the team's second goal on the brink of the interval, too, his free header parried by Malmö’s shot-stopper Ellborg but Kalimuendo poised to convert the rebound from close range. McAtee, the playmaker handed a rare start and only his second appearance since the autumn, was the spark, chipping a delicious ball towards Yates at the far post.

A minute earlier, Hudson-Odoi’s driven shot was deflected aside off the back Colin Rösler, son of former Manchester City striker Uwe, and an free Milenkovic also earlier had a strong header smartly repelled by Ellborg, who was back in place of the ex- Aston Villa goalie Robin Olsen.

Opponent's Struggles

This was the Swedish side's initial game since the domestic league ended on 9 November, and they struggled to equal Forest’s energy. Forest extended the lead to three when the defender scored after his defensive colleague Murillo kept alive a corner. The captain had a volley stopped, but the Serbia centre-back Milenkovic pounced on the leftovers.

The home side then went for the jugular, 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 that kind of evenings. The manager, aware of the upcoming domestic fixture here against Brighton & Hove Albion, made seven changes from the side that surprised the Reds at Anfield recently, when they also netted three times, though he introduced Elliot Anderson, Dan Ndoye and Igor Jesus midway through the final period.

Hiccup-Free Evening for the Team

It proved a flawless night for Nottingham Forest. The coach could take off the defender with the game long since boxed off and later brought on teenage full-back Jimmy Sinclair for his senior bow. Dyche discussed the Forest old guard supplying “valuable insights” at weekly get-togethers and, almost five decades on, the current crop showed they are able of producing of excitement, too.