🔗 Share this article

“You’ll never sing that, champions of Europe,” echoed through the City Ground as Forest followers reveled in another result against their Swedish opponents. A great deal has transpired since Francis's decisive header clinched the European Cup back in the year 1979, but Forest still cherish those glorious moments. Equally, significant shifts have taken place in the weeks since the manager assumed control, with Forest looking refreshed and earning a convincing victory courtesy of goals from Kalimuendo, Yates, and Milenkovic, boosting their hopes of progressing in the Europa League.

Gaining Steam with Third Straight Win

For Forest, this performance – against a Swedish side that had not played for nearly a month after finishing sixth in their home competition – represented a third consecutive triumph across every tournament and added to the positive energy generated from the previous week's stunning victory at Anfield. While this match was a reminder of the club's historic success in spirit, the game itself was free of any significant jeopardy or jitters.

This was an occasion filled with nostalgia, an longed-for reunion and the third clash between the sides since the European Cup final over four decades past.

Forest fully embraced the heritage, paying tribute to the legends of 1979 by providing them, along with their Malmö opponents, the VIP welcome. 13 members of the Malmö's team from that time were additionally present. Both teams shared a dinner together before the match. Frank Clark, Colin Barrett and their teammates were given a rousing welcome when they gathered on the pitch a quarter of an hour before the start, and a characteristically superb tifo was unveiled in the Trent End.

Remembering the Past

“May 30, 1979, John Robertson crossed it in from the left,” read half of a giant banner, in capital letters. While nobody required a reminder of what ensued, the remaining section was unfurled as the players came out from the dressing rooms. “There is Francis,” it stated. Another brilliant display depicted Brian Clough observing proceedings beside his right-hand man Taylor on a bench at the Olympiastadion.

Dominance from the Start

So, the hosts had soaked up those wonderful memories, but what about the performance on the evening? It was strong, too. They were in complete control from the moment the forward fired an effort off target inside two minutes and built a two-goal lead by the break. Nicolás Domínguez sent an early header off target and then Zach Abbott, on his first European start, had a go.

It seemed appropriate that Yates, who came to Forest aged eight, made the first dent in the Malmö defence led by their own academy product captain, Pontus Jansson, formerly of Leeds United and Brentford. The Forest centre-back Nikola Milenkovic saw a delivery deflect off a opponent and into the pathway of the midfielder, who swept home right-footed from the edge of the penalty area to score his maiden strike since last March.

Another Strike Seals Dominance

Yates was implicated in Forest’s second goal on the brink of half-time, as well, his unmarked header parried by Malmö’s shot-stopper Ellborg but Kalimuendo poised to tap in the rebound from point-blank range. McAtee, the midfielder given a rare start and only his second outing since the autumn, was the spark, chipping a delicious ball towards his teammate at the back post.

Just moments before, Callum Hudson-Odoi low effort was turned wide off Malmö back Colin Rösler, son of ex- Man City forward Uwe, and an free the defender also earlier had a powerful header smartly saved by Ellborg, who returned in place of the ex- Aston Villa goalkeeper Robin Olsen.

Malmö’s Struggles

This was Malmö’s first match since the Swedish Allsvenskan ended on November 9th, and they found it hard to match the home team's intensity. Forest made it 3-0 when Milenkovic scored after his centre-back partner Murillo headed back a corner. The captain had a volley blocked, but the Serbian centre-back Milenkovic pounced on the rebound.

Forest then went for the jugular, with Hudson-Odoi dinking a right-foot shot on to the crossbar before Sangaré sent an ambitious effort wide from distance. It was that kind of evenings. The manager, mindful of Sunday’s domestic fixture here against Brighton & Hove Albion, made multiple alterations from the side that stunned the Reds at their ground recently, when they also netted three times, though he called on Elliot Anderson, Dan Ndoye and Igor Jesus midway through the final period.

Hiccup-Free Night for the Team

It turned out to be a hiccup-free night for Nottingham Forest. The coach could withdraw the defender with the match long since sewn up and subsequently brought on 19-year-old full-back Jimmy Sinclair for his first-team debut. He talked about the Forest old guard providing “bits of gold” at regular meetings and, nearly fifty years on, the present squad demonstrated they are able of a few nuggets of excitement, too.