Arnaud Kalimuendo Scores as Nottingham Forest Secure Nostalgic Win Against Malmö

“You’ll never sing that, champions of Europe,” was chanted through the City Ground as Nottingham Forest followers celebrated a further success against their Swedish opponents. Much has happened since Francis's winning header clinched the continental trophy in the year 1979, but the club continue to cherish those memories. Equally, major changes have occurred in the five weeks since the manager assumed control, with the team looking reinvigorated and securing a comfortable win thanks to goals from Arnaud Kalimuendo, Ryan Yates, and Nikola Milenkovic, enhancing their hopes of advancing in the European competition.

Building Steam with Another Consecutive Win

For Forest, this performance – against a Swedish side that had not played for nearly a month after ending sixth in their home competition – represented a third straight win across every tournament and added to the positive energy generated from last weekend’s success at Anfield. While this match was a reminder of the club's European Cup triumph in spirit, the game itself was free of any significant tension or jitters.

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

The home side fully embraced the heritage, paying tribute to the legends of 1979 by providing them, along with their visiting counterparts, the VIP welcome. 13 members of the Malmö's squad from then were also in attendance. Both teams enjoyed a dinner together prior to the kick-off. Frank Clark, Colin Barrett and company received a tumultuous reception when they assembled on the pitch 15 minutes before kick-off, and a characteristically impressive tifo was unveiled in the Trent End.

Recalling the Past

“May 30, 1979, Robertson crossed it in from the left,” displayed half of a giant tifo, in capital letters. While nobody needed reminding of what happened next, the remaining section was revealed as the squads came out from the tunnel. “There is Francis,” it continued. Another brilliant tifo depicted Brian Clough observing proceedings beside his assistant Peter Taylor on a bench at the Munich stadium.

Control from the Outset

So, the hosts had drunk in those beautiful memories, but what about the showing on the evening? It was impressive, as well. They were in complete control from the moment the forward fired an effort wide inside two minutes and built a 2-0 advantage by the half-time interval. Domínguez sent an early header off target and then Abbott, on his first European start, tried his luck.

It seemed appropriate that Yates, who joined Forest aged eight, made the initial breakthrough in the visitors' defense captained by their own homegrown captain, Pontus Jansson, previously of Leeds United and Brentford. The home defender Nikola Milenkovic saw a delivery cannon off a opponent and into the path of Yates, who swept home right-footed from the edge of the box to register his maiden strike since last March.

Another Strike Seals Control

The scorer was implicated in the team's next goal on the brink of half-time, as well, his free header parried by the goalkeeper Melker Ellborg but Kalimuendo poised to convert the loose ball from point-blank range. James McAtee, the playmaker handed a seldom start and just his second appearance since the autumn, was the catalyst, lofting a delicious ball towards his teammate at the far post.

Just moments before, Callum Hudson-Odoi driven shot was deflected aside off the back Colin Rösler, son of former Man City striker Uwe Rösler, and an unmarked Milenkovic also earlier had a powerful header smartly repelled by the keeper, who was back in place of the former Aston Villa goalkeeper Robin Olsen.

Malmö’s Difficulties

This was the Swedish side's initial game since the Swedish Allsvenskan concluded on 9 November, and they struggled to equal the home team's intensity. The Reds made it 3-0 when Milenkovic applied the finishing touch after his centre-back partner Murillo kept alive a set-piece. The captain had a volley blocked, but the Serbian defender Milenkovic feasted on the rebound.

The home side then went for the jugular, with the winger dinking a right-foot shot on to the crossbar before Ibrahim Sangaré sent an optimistic shot off target from 30 yards. It was one of those evenings. Dyche, aware of the upcoming league game here against Brighton, made multiple alterations from the team that surprised the Reds at Anfield recently, when they also netted three times, though he called on substitutes and further fresh legs midway through the second half.

Smooth Night for the Team

It proved a hiccup-free evening for Nottingham Forest. The coach could withdraw the defender with the game already boxed off and subsequently introduced 19-year-old defender Sinclair for his senior bow. Dyche discussed the Forest old guard supplying “valuable insights” at regular meetings and, nearly fifty years on, the current crop showed they are able of a few nuggets of excitement, too.