Defeat to Dynamo needs comeback
On this day in Nottingham Forest history in 1980 Forest lose the first leg to BFC Dynamo in the European Cup.
Nottingham Forest’s defence of the European Cup was put under immediate pressure when BFC Dynamo won 1-0 at the City Ground.
The quarter-final first leg was a difficult night for Brian Clough’s side. Forest were reigning European champions, but the defeat left them needing an away comeback to keep their title defence alive. At home, in front of their own supporters, the result gave the tie an uncomfortable edge.
Players such as Peter Shilton, Viv Anderson and John Robertson had already proved themselves on the biggest European nights, but this match left Forest with no margin for carelessness in the return leg. The 1-0 scoreline meant the tie was still close, yet it also placed the pressure firmly on Forest before the trip to East Berlin.
The significance of the night became clearer afterwards. Forest recovered by winning the second leg 3-1 away, going through 3-2 on aggregate against BFC Dynamo. The home defeat therefore became the problem they had to solve on the road, rather than the end of their European Cup defence.
Sources
11v11; UEFA
Forest timeline
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