“Champions of Europe, you’ll never sing that,” echoed through the ground as Nottingham Forest followers reveled in another win against their Swedish opponents. A great deal has occurred since Francis's decisive header clinched the continental trophy in the year 1979, but Forest still hold dear those glorious moments. Similarly, major changes have occurred in the five weeks since the manager took charge, with Forest looking reinvigorated and earning a convincing win courtesy of goals from Arnaud Kalimuendo, Ryan Yates, and Milenkovic, enhancing their prospects of progressing in the European competition.
For Nottingham Forest, this performance – against a Swedish side that had not played for nearly a month after ending in sixth place in their home competition – marked a third consecutive triumph across every tournament and further built on the momentum generated from the previous week's stunning victory at Anfield. While this match was a reminder of Forest’s European Cup success in name, the encounter itself was devoid of any real jeopardy or nerves.
It proved to be an event dripping in nostalgia, an eagerly awaited reunion and the third clash between the teams since the showpiece event over four decades past.
The home side fully embraced the heritage, paying tribute to the legends of that era by providing them, along with their visiting opponents, the VIP welcome. 13 members of the Swedish club’s squad from that time were also in attendance. The two clubs enjoyed a dinner together prior to the kick-off. Forest legends and company were given a tumultuous welcome when they assembled on the field 15 minutes before kick-off, and a typically superb display was shown in the home stand.
“May 30, 1979, Robertson delivered the ball from the left,” read half of a large banner, in block capitals. While nobody needed reminding of what happened next, the remaining section was unfurled as the players came out from the dressing rooms. “And there’s Francis,” it stated. A second brilliant tifo showed Clough observing events beside his right-hand man Taylor on a bench at the Munich stadium.
So, Forest had soaked up those wonderful recollections, but what about the showing on the night? It was pretty good, too. They were in complete control from the moment Kalimuendo fired an effort off target inside two minutes and built a two-goal advantage by the break. Nicolás Domínguez sent an early header wide and then Zach Abbott, on his maiden European start, tried his luck.
It felt fitting that Ryan Yates, who came to the club as an eight-year-old, made the initial breakthrough in the Malmö defence captained by their own academy product skipper, Pontus Jansson, formerly of Leeds and Brentford. The home defender Nikola Milenkovic saw a cross deflect off a defender and into the pathway of Yates, who finished right-footed from just inside the box to register his first goal since last March.
The scorer was implicated in the team's second goal on the brink of the interval, too, his free header parried by the goalkeeper Melker Ellborg but Kalimuendo on hand to convert the loose ball from point-blank range. McAtee, the playmaker handed a rare start and just his second outing since September, was the spark, chipping a delicious ball towards his teammate at the back post.
A minute earlier, Callum Hudson-Odoi low effort was deflected wide off the defender Rösler, the son of ex- Manchester City striker Uwe Rösler, and an unmarked the defender had earlier had a powerful header smartly repelled by Ellborg, who was back in place of the ex- Aston Villa goalie Olsen.
This was the Swedish side's initial game since the Swedish Allsvenskan ended on 9 November, and they struggled to match the home team's energy. Forest extended the lead to three when Milenkovic applied the finishing touch after his centre-back partner Murillo headed back a set-piece. The captain had a volley stopped, but the Serbia defender Milenkovic feasted on the rebound.
The home side then went for the jugular, with Hudson-Odoi chipping a right-foot shot on to the bar before Sangaré sent an ambitious effort off target from distance. It was that kind of evenings. Dyche, aware of the upcoming league game here against Brighton & Hove Albion, made multiple alterations from the side that surprised Liverpool at Anfield last weekend, when they additionally scored three goals, though he introduced Elliot Anderson, Dan Ndoye and Igor Jesus midway through the final period.
It turned out to be a flawless night for Forest. The coach could take off the defender with the game long since sewn up and subsequently introduced 19-year-old defender Jimmy Sinclair for his first-team debut. Dyche talked about the Forest old guard providing “valuable insights” at weekly get-togethers and, nearly fifty years on, the current crop demonstrated they are capable of producing of excitement, as well.
