🔗 Share this article

“You’ll never sing that, champions of Europe,” rang out through the ground as Forest fans reveled in another success against their Swedish opponents. Much has transpired since Trevor Francis’s winning header clinched the continental trophy back in 1979, but the club still hold dear those glorious moments. Similarly, significant changes have taken place in the five weeks since Sean Dyche took charge, with the team looking refreshed and securing a comfortable victory courtesy of goals from Arnaud Kalimuendo, Yates, and Milenkovic, enhancing their prospects of progressing in the Europa League.

Building Momentum with Third Straight Win

For Nottingham Forest, this result – against a Swedish side that had not played for almost three weeks after ending in sixth place in their home competition – marked a third straight triumph across every tournament and added to the positive energy gained from the previous week's stunning victory at Liverpool. While this match was a re-run of Forest’s historic success in spirit, the encounter itself was free of any significant jeopardy or jitters.

It proved to be an occasion filled with sentiment, an eagerly awaited meeting and the third clash between the teams since the European Cup final over four decades past.

Forest leaned into the history, paying tribute to the heroes of that era by giving them, along with their visiting counterparts, the red-carpet treatment. Thirteen members of the Swedish club’s squad from that time were additionally present. Both teams enjoyed a meal together before the kick-off. Forest legends and company were given a rousing reception when they gathered on the field 15 minutes before the start, and a characteristically superb tifo was shown in the home stand.

Remembering the Past

“30th May 1979, Robertson crossed it in from the left,” displayed half of a giant tifo, in block capitals. While nobody needed reminding of what happened next, the rest was revealed as the squads came out from the tunnel. “There is Francis,” it continued. A second brilliant display depicted Clough watching proceedings beside his right-hand man Taylor on a bench at the Olympiastadion.

Dominance from the Start

So, Forest had soaked up those wonderful memories, but what about the showing on the night? It was pretty good, as well. They were in complete control from the moment the forward fired an attempt wide inside two minutes and established a 2-0 advantage by the break. Nicolás Domínguez sent an early header wide and then Abbott, on his first European start, had a go.

It seemed appropriate that Ryan Yates, who came to the club aged eight, made the first dent in the visitors' defense captained by their own homegrown captain, Pontus Jansson, previously of Leeds and Brentford FC. The Forest centre-back Nikola Milenkovic saw a delivery deflect off a defender and into the path of the midfielder, who swept home right-footed from the edge of the box to score his first goal since last March.

Second Strike Seals Dominance

The scorer was implicated in the team's second goal on the brink of the interval, as well, his free header saved by Malmö’s shot-stopper Melker Ellborg but the alert forward on hand to tap in the loose ball from close range. James McAtee, the midfielder given a rare start and just his second appearance since September, was the catalyst, chipping a perfect ball towards Yates at the back post.

Just moments before, Callum Hudson-Odoi driven shot was deflected wide off the back Rösler, son of former Manchester City striker Uwe, and an unmarked Milenkovic also previously had a strong header instinctively repelled by the keeper, who returned in place of the former Aston Villa goalie Robin Olsen.

Opponent's Struggles

This was Malmö’s initial game since the domestic league concluded on November 9th, and they found it hard to match the home team's energy. The Reds made it 3-0 when Milenkovic scored after his defensive colleague Murillo kept alive a set-piece. The captain had a volley blocked, but the Serbian centre-back Milenkovic pounced on the leftovers.

Forest then pushed for more, with Hudson-Odoi chipping a effort on to the crossbar before Sangaré sent an ambitious shot off target from 30 yards. It was that kind of nights. Dyche, mindful of Sunday’s domestic fixture here against Brighton, implemented multiple alterations from the team that surprised the Reds at Anfield last weekend, when they additionally scored three goals, though he introduced Elliot Anderson, Dan Ndoye and Igor Jesus during the second half.

Hiccup-Free Evening for the Team

It turned out to be a flawless night for Forest. The coach could take off the defender with the match long since boxed off and subsequently introduced 19-year-old defender Jimmy Sinclair for his first-team debut. He discussed the club legends supplying “bits of gold” at regular meetings and, nearly fifty years on, the present squad showed they are able of a few nuggets of thrills, too.