Arnaud Kalimuendo Scores as Nottingham Forest Earn Nostalgic Win Over Malmö

“Champions of Europe, you’ll never sing that,” rang out around the stadium as Nottingham Forest supporters celebrated another win against their Swedish opponents. A great deal has happened since Trevor Francis’s winning header clinched the continental trophy in 1979, but the club still hold dear those memories. Equally, significant shifts have occurred in the weeks since the manager took charge, with the team looking refreshed and securing a comfortable victory courtesy of goals from Arnaud Kalimuendo, Yates, and Milenkovic, enhancing their prospects of progressing in the European competition.

Building Steam with Another Consecutive Victory

For Nottingham Forest, this performance – against a Malmö side that had been inactive for almost three weeks after finishing in sixth place in their domestic league – represented a third consecutive win across every tournament and further built on the momentum gained from last weekend’s stunning victory at Anfield. While this match was a reminder of the club's historic success in spirit, the game itself was free of any significant jeopardy or jitters.

This was an event filled with nostalgia, an longed-for reunion and the third clash between the sides since the showpiece event 46 years ago.

The home side fully embraced the history, honoring the heroes of that era by giving them, along with their Malmö counterparts, the VIP welcome. 13 members of the Malmö's team from then were also present. The two clubs enjoyed a meal together prior to the kick-off. Forest legends and company received a tumultuous reception when they assembled on the field a quarter of an hour before the start, and a typically impressive display was unveiled in the home stand.

Recalling History

“30th May 1979, John Robertson crossed it in from the left,” displayed one part of a giant tifo, in capital letters. While no one needed reminding of what happened next, the rest was unfurled as the squads came out from the tunnel. “And there’s Francis,” it continued. Another brilliant tifo depicted Clough watching proceedings beside his right-hand man Peter Taylor on a dugout at the Munich stadium.

Control from the Start

So, the hosts had drunk in those wonderful recollections, but what about the performance on the night? It was impressive, as well. They were in complete control from the moment Kalimuendo fired an effort wide inside the opening moments and built a two-goal lead by the break. Domínguez sent an early header wide and then Abbott, on his first European start, had a go.

It felt fitting that Ryan Yates, who came to the club as an eight-year-old, made the first dent in the Malmö defence led by their own academy product captain, Jansson, previously of Leeds and Brentford. The home defender Nikola Milenkovic saw a delivery deflect off a defender and into the pathway of the midfielder, who finished with his right foot from the edge of the penalty area to score his maiden strike since last March.

Second Goal Seals Dominance

Yates was involved in Forest’s second goal on the brink of half-time, too, his free header parried by the shot-stopper Melker Ellborg but the alert forward poised to convert the loose ball from close range. James McAtee, the playmaker handed a seldom start and just his second outing since the autumn, was the spark, chipping a perfect ball towards Yates at the back post.

A minute earlier, Callum Hudson-Odoi driven shot was deflected aside off Malmö defender Rösler, son of former Man City striker Uwe Rösler, and an free Milenkovic also earlier had a powerful header smartly repelled by Ellborg, who returned in place of the former Villa goalie Robin Olsen.

Opponent's Difficulties

This was Malmö’s initial game since the Swedish Allsvenskan concluded on November 9th, and they struggled to match the home team's intensity. The Reds extended the lead to three when Milenkovic scored after his centre-back partner Murillo kept alive a set-piece. Yates had a volley blocked, but the Serbian defender Milenkovic pounced on the rebound.

The home side then pushed for more, with the winger chipping a right-foot shot on to the bar before Sangaré sent an ambitious shot off target from distance. It was that kind of nights. Dyche, aware of the upcoming domestic fixture here against Brighton & Hove Albion, implemented multiple alterations from the team that stunned Liverpool at their ground recently, when they also netted three goals, though he introduced Elliot Anderson, Dan Ndoye and Igor Jesus midway through the second half.

Smooth Evening for Forest

It turned out to be a hiccup-free night for Forest. Dyche could take off Murillo with the game long since sewn up and subsequently brought on 19-year-old defender Sinclair for his first-team debut. Dyche talked about the Forest old guard providing “bits of gold” at weekly get-togethers and, almost five decades on, the current crop demonstrated they are capable of producing of excitement, as well.