Arnaud Kalimuendo Scores as Nottingham Forest Earn Sentimental Win Against Malmö

“You’ll never sing that, champions of Europe,” rang out around the ground as Nottingham Forest fans celebrated another success against their Swedish opponents. Much has occurred since Francis's decisive header clinched the continental trophy back in 1979, but Forest continue to hold dear those memories. Equally, significant changes have taken place in the five weeks since the manager assumed control, with Forest looking reinvigorated and earning a convincing victory thanks to goals from Arnaud Kalimuendo, Yates, and Nikola Milenkovic, boosting their hopes of progressing in the European competition.

Building Steam with Another Consecutive Victory

For Forest, this result – against a Swedish side that had not played for almost three weeks after ending 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 Anfield. While this fixture was a re-run of the club's European Cup triumph in name, the encounter itself was free of any real tension or nerves.

It proved to be an occasion dripping in nostalgia, an longed-for meeting and the third meeting between the teams since the European Cup final 46 years ago.

The home side fully embraced the history, paying tribute to the legends of that era by providing them, along with their visiting counterparts, the red-carpet treatment. 13 members of the Malmö's team from that time were also present. The two clubs shared a dinner together prior to the match. Forest legends and company were given a tumultuous welcome when they gathered on the field a quarter of an hour before kick-off, and a typically superb tifo was unveiled in the home stand.

Remembering the Past

“30th May 1979, Robertson delivered the ball from the left,” displayed half of a large tifo, in capital letters. While no one 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 showed Brian Clough watching proceedings beside his assistant Peter Taylor on a dugout at the Olympiastadion.

Dominance from the Start

So, the hosts had drunk in those beautiful memories, but what about the performance on the night? It was pretty good, as well. They were in complete control from the moment Kalimuendo fired an attempt wide inside two minutes 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, had a go.

It seemed appropriate that Ryan Yates, who came to Forest as an eight-year-old, made the initial breakthrough in the Malmö defense captained by their own academy product skipper, Jansson, formerly of Leeds United and Brentford. The Forest defender Milenkovic saw a cross cannon off a opponent and into the path of the midfielder, who swept home right-footed from the edge of the box to register his maiden strike since last March.

Second Goal Seals Dominance

Yates was implicated in the team's next goal on the brink of the interval, too, his free header parried by the goalkeeper Melker Ellborg but the alert forward poised to tap in the rebound from close range. McAtee, the midfielder given a seldom start and just his second appearance since the autumn, was the spark, lofting a delicious ball towards Yates at the far post.

A minute earlier, Callum Hudson-Odoi driven shot was deflected aside off Malmö back Rösler, the son of ex- Manchester City forward Uwe Rösler, and an free the defender had previously had a powerful header smartly saved by Ellborg, who was back in place of the former Villa goalie Olsen.

Opponent's Difficulties

This was Malmö’s initial game since the domestic league ended on 9 November, and they struggled to equal Forest’s intensity. Forest made it 3-0 when the defender applied the finishing touch after his defensive colleague Murillo kept alive a corner. Yates had a volley blocked, but the Serbian defender Milenkovic pounced on the leftovers.

The home side then went for the jugular, with Hudson-Odoi dinking a right-foot shot on to the crossbar before Sangaré sent an optimistic shot wide from 30 yards. It was that kind of evenings. Dyche, mindful of Sunday’s domestic fixture here against Brighton & Hove Albion, implemented seven changes from the team that stunned Liverpool at Anfield last weekend, when they also netted three goals, though he introduced substitutes and Igor Jesus midway through the second half.

Hiccup-Free Evening for Forest

It turned out to be a hiccup-free evening for Nottingham Forest. The coach could withdraw the defender with the game long since boxed off and subsequently introduced 19-year-old defender Jimmy Sinclair for his first-team debut. He discussed the Forest old guard supplying “valuable insights” at weekly get-togethers and, almost five decades on, the current crop demonstrated they are able of producing of excitement, as well.