Birtles sparks Grasshoppers Europe win
On this day in Nottingham Forest history in 1979 Forest beat Grasshoppers in a European Cup quarter-final first leg.
Nottingham Forest took a major step towards the European Cup semi-finals by beating Grasshoppers 4-1 at the City Ground.
The quarter-final first leg was another powerful European night for Brian Clough’s side. Grasshoppers struck first through Claudio Sulser, but Forest responded strongly and turned the tie in their favour before the return match in Switzerland.
Garry Birtles equalised for Forest, and John Robertson then converted a penalty early in the second half. Late goals from Archie Gemmill and Larry Lloyd made the scoreline emphatic, giving Forest a commanding first-leg lead.
The 4-1 win mattered because it put Forest in control of the quarter-final. Grasshoppers drew the second leg 1-1, but Forest progressed 5-2 on aggregate and continued the run that ended with the club lifting the European Cup in Munich.
Sources
11v11; UEFA; Nottingham Forest season records
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