Football betting tips: Europa League
2.5pts Nottingham Forest win to nil at 10/11 (General)
1pt Nottingham Forest to score a penalty at 3/1 (bet365)
0.5pt Morato to score anytime at 14/1 (Sky Bet)
Not for one second am I suggesting that managers should be judged (and sacked) after fewer than 40 days in charge, but it's difficult to argue with the fact that replacing Ange Postecoglou with Sean Dyche was in fact the correct decision.
The crisis engulfing Liverpool meant Nottingham Forest's 3-0 win at Anfield, and the incredible turnaround under their new boss, received only a fraction of the focus it warranted. Since walking into complete disarray Dyche has transformed things, losing just one of his opening six matches.
On top of being a better fit for the profile of the playing squad, he is also a better fit for the club itself. He gets being Nottingham Forest manager. Postecoglou, certainly by the end, really didn't.
Dyche 2.0 - a repackaged version of the same brand of football, just with strong doses of "I was a youth team player here" vibes - has worked wonders and for him to now be leading them against the club beaten in the 1979 European Cup final is the kind of nostalgia you could barely dream up.
There's a little extra nostalgia for Premier League and EFL followers too, with Malmo's squad including Uwe Rosler and Eidur Gudjohnsen's offspring, former Leeds and Brentford loudmouth Pontus Jansson and ex-Blackburn, Norwich and Swansea stalwart Marcus Olsson to name just a few.
And as fun as this game is on paper it is one Forest should easily win, with the gap in quality is enormous.
Malmo, who won the Swedish title in each of the last two and in four of the previous five seasons, ended a forgettable domestic campaign three weeks ago with a victory that snuck them into sixth place, their second-lowest finish since 2009. After a long, terrible season they are now forced to limp through the opening phase of the Europa League with little chance of qualification.
Dyche's impact has been based on quickly fixing a defence that looked completely incapable of stopping opponents creating chances. In his six matches in charge Forest have allowed an average of only 0.84 expected goals against (xGA) per game. Prior to the trip to Merseyside that was an incredible 0.62.
Wins over Porto - who were unbeaten (W10 D1) and had conceded only twice in 11 games this season - Leeds, and Liverpool have been mightily impressive, while only a stunning late equaliser and a missed Morgan Gibbs-White penalty cost them victories over Manchester United and Sturm Graz respectively.
The general 10/11 about FOREST TO WIN TO NIL against a beaten down Malmo team with one point from their opening four Europa League games, losing their only away match 3-0 to Czech minnows Viktoria Plzen, simply must be backed.
It is very possible Forest give their Swedish opponents a hiding. With goals and handicap angles too short, the way in is via multiple ANYTIME GOALSCORERS.
The uncertainty of selection for a Europa League fixture makes this difficult, so it is one to wait for team news on although I am willing to take a chance on Brazilian centre-back MORATO being given some minutes at 14/1. Let's hope he can follow in compatriot Murillo's footsteps after his team-mate found the net on Saturday; defenders have scored four of Forest's 10 goals since Dyche was appointed, with three of the remaining six being penalties.
Those spot-kicks are no coincidence. A more direct approach has seen Forest awarded four penalties in Dyche's six matches, three of those in the UEL.
With it unclear until team sheets are released who will be on spot-kick duties in the absence of the injured Gibbs-White I am willing to take the 3/1 about FOREST TO SCORE A PENALTY rather than risk backing the odds-on Igor Jesus or 7/2 Elliot Anderson. Both have scored penalties in this run, but may be rested.
As a final note it's also worth keeping an eye on Omari Hutchinson either when teams are announced or in-play.
He impressed off the bench at Anfield, having three attempts on goal (one on target) from inside the box in the final 12 minutes of the match and looking lively throughout. The winger is yet to start a match for Forest since joining from Ipswich for £35m but this could be the perfect opportunity to do so.
Frustratingly, so disrupted has his start to life at the City Ground been that most firms aren't even pricing him up yet.
Odds correct at 1550 GMT (26/11/25)
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