On an evening dripping with history, Nottingham Forest delivered a performance worthy of their legendary predecessors, routing Malmö FF 3-0 in the UEFA Europa League. The match was a poignant rematch of the 1979 European Cup final, and the current Forest side honoured that legacy with a commanding victory at a buzzing City Ground.
The club paid tribute to the late Brian Clough’s iconic team before kick-off, parading the living legends from the 1979 squad and screening a commemorative film. Inspired by the occasion, Sean Dyche’s men put on a show of their own, securing a crucial three points that keeps their hopes of advancing to the knockout stages alive.
Yates Leads the Charge in Dominant Display
Forest controlled the game from the outset against a Malmö side lacking competitive sharpness. The breakthrough came in the 28th minute from a fitting source—club captain Ryan Yates. The homegrown midfielder showed great composure to slot home from 12 yards after a deflected cross fell into his path.
The lead was doubled right on the stroke of halftime, as French forward Arnaud Kalimuendo tapped in for his first goal for the club, after the Malmö goalkeeper could only parry a powerful header from Yates.
Milenkovic Seals the Win
Any lingering doubt was extinguished just before the hour mark when defender Nikola Milenkovic bundled the ball home from close range to make it 3-0, with the goal confirmed after a VAR check for offside.
Callum Hudson-Odoi later clipped the crossbar as Forest hunted for more goals, but the three-goal cushion was more than enough, allowing them to see out the game comfortably.
Dyche’s Resurgent Forest Build Momentum
The victory extends Forest’s unbeaten run to five matches in all competitions, with three consecutive wins signalling that the team has firmly put a shaky start to the season behind them. The result keeps them in the hunt in a congested Europa League table as they continue their own European adventure.
For one night at the City Ground, the past and present merged perfectly, as a new generation of Forest players created a memorable European night of their own.
