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23 April, 1980

Madrid final reached after beating Ajax

On this day in 1980 Forest survive Ajax to reach a second consecutive European Cup final.

Cup runs and campaigns

Reached final / semi-final / quarter-final
Trevor Francis, Brian Clough and John Robertson in Amsterdam before Nottingham Forest's European Cup semi-final against Ajax in 1980
Trevor Francis, Brian Clough and John Robertson in Amsterdam before Nottingham Forest's European Cup semi-final against Ajax in 1980 Image: Hans van Dijk / Anefo, Nationaal Archief / CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Nottingham Forest reached a second consecutive European Cup final despite losing 1-0 away to Ajax in Amsterdam.

Forest had built their advantage with a 2-0 win in the first leg at the City Ground, so the return match carried a different kind of pressure. Ajax forced the issue, winning corner after corner, but Forest’s defence and Peter Shilton kept the tie under control for long enough to protect the aggregate lead.

Trevor Francis, Brian Clough and John Robertson in Amsterdam before Nottingham Forest's European Cup semi-final against Ajax in 1980
Trevor Francis, Brian Clough and John Robertson in Amsterdam before Nottingham Forest's European Cup semi-final against Ajax in 1980 Image: Hans van Dijk / Anefo, Nationaal Archief / CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

There were still anxious moments. Shilton was called into important saves, while Trevor Francis had a chance to ease the tension early in the second half but headed wide. Ajax eventually scored from a corner in the 66th minute, narrowing the aggregate score and making the closing stages uncomfortable.

Forest did not win the night, but they won the tie 2-1 overall. In European knockout football, survival can matter as much as expression, and Forest had enough from the two legs to protect their place in the final.

The defeat in Amsterdam did not stop the journey. Forest had passed the Ajax test and earned another European Cup final, this time in Madrid.

ITV Highlights

Sources

UEFA; European Cup records

Forest timeline

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Notts County 0–2 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 3–0 Blackburn
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Vitória SC 1–1 Nottingham Forest
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Portimonense 1–2 Nottingham Forest Sporting CP 4–1 Nottingham Forest
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Udinese 1–0 Nottingham Forest Barcelona 1–0 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 2–1 Bayer Leverkusen
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Nottingham Forest 0–1 Leeds
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Nottingham Forest 0–0 Tottenham
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Aston Villa 1–2 Nottingham Forest
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Crystal Palace 14:00 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 16:30 Arsenal
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Ipswich 20:00 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 17:30 Manchester City
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Bournemouth 15:00 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 20:00 Chelsea
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Hull City 20:00 Nottingham Forest
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