Nottingham Forest Celebrates European Glory with Impressive Win

Nottingham Forest honored their European Cup champions from 1979 with a commanding 3-0 victory against Malmö in the Europa League.

A Nod to History

Brian Clough led Forest to a historic win 46 years ago, with Trevor Francis scoring the decisive goal against Malmö in Munich. Ahead of the match, nostalgia filled the air as many of the surviving players from that legendary night graced the City Ground pitch. A two-minute tribute film was also projected onto the Brian Clough Stand, setting a memorable atmosphere.

Current Triumphs

Despite the stakes being lower in this league phase clash, Forest emerged victorious once again, thanks to goals from Ryan Yates, Arnaud Kalimuendo, and Nikola Milenkovic. The team is eager to achieve their own European ambitions and is maintaining their pursuit of a top-eight finish in a tightly contested league after five matches.

Under the leadership of Sean Dyche, Forest has shown marked improvement, notching up three consecutive victories and remaining unbeaten in five matches across all competitions, leaving behind a challenging start to the season.

Match Highlights

Dyche’s squad faced a Malmö team that was competing for the first time since November 9. The match began with early chances, as Callum Hudson-Odoi missed a shot wide within the first three minutes, and Nicolás Domínguez failed to convert a header.

First Half

The opening goal came in the 28th minute, courtesy of a homegrown talent. A deflected cross from Milenkovic found Yates, who calmly netted from 12 yards. Though Forest had opportunities to extend their lead—Kalimuendo’s shot was saved by goalkeeper Melker Ellborg and Milenkovic headed a corner directly at him—the second goal eventually arrived on the brink of halftime. Kalimuendo scored his first for the club, tapping in after Ellborg had denied Yates’ header from a James McAtee cross.

Second Half

The third goal followed shortly before the hour mark when Milenkovic capitalized on a volley from Yates, scoring from close range after a lengthy VAR review confirmed the goal was onside. Hudson-Odoi came close to adding another by hitting the crossbar, but the team settled for three goals as they looked ahead to their upcoming match against Brighton on Sunday.