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“You’ll never sing that, champions of Europe,” echoed around the ground as Forest followers celebrated a further result against their Swedish opponents. Much has transpired since Trevor Francis’s decisive header secured the European Cup back in 1979, but the club still treasure those glorious moments. Similarly, major changes have occurred in the five weeks since Sean Dyche assumed control, with the team appearing refreshed and securing a convincing victory courtesy of goals from Kalimuendo, Yates, and Nikola Milenkovic, boosting their hopes of progressing in the European competition.

Gaining Steam with Third Consecutive Win

For Nottingham Forest, this result – against a Swedish side that had been inactive for nearly a month after finishing in sixth place in their domestic league – marked a third consecutive triumph across all competitions and further built on the positive energy gained from the previous week's stunning victory at Anfield. While this fixture was a reminder of Forest’s European Cup success in spirit, the game itself was free of any real jeopardy or jitters.

It proved to be an occasion dripping in nostalgia, an longed-for meeting and the third competitive meeting between the teams since the showpiece event over four decades past.

The home side leaned into the history, paying tribute to the heroes of that era by providing them, along with their Malmö opponents, the red-carpet treatment. 13 members of the Malmö's team from then were also in attendance. Both teams enjoyed a dinner together prior to the kick-off. Frank Clark, Colin Barrett and company received a rousing welcome when they assembled on the field 15 minutes before the start, and a characteristically superb display was shown in the Trent End.

Remembering History

“30th May 1979, John Robertson delivered the ball from the left flank,” displayed half of a giant tifo, in capital letters. While nobody needed reminding of what ensued, the rest was revealed as the squads came out from the dressing rooms. “There is Francis,” it continued. A second brilliant tifo depicted Clough observing proceedings beside his right-hand man Taylor on a dugout at the Olympiastadion.

Control from the Start

So, the hosts had drunk in those beautiful memories, but what about the performance on the evening? It was impressive, as well. They were in full command from the moment the forward fired an effort off target inside two minutes and established a 2-0 advantage by the break. Nicolás Domínguez sent an early header wide and then Zach Abbott, on his maiden European start, had a go.

It seemed appropriate that Yates, who joined Forest as an eight-year-old, made the initial breakthrough in the Malmö defence led by their own academy product captain, Pontus Jansson, previously of Leeds and Brentford. The home defender Nikola Milenkovic saw a delivery cannon off a opponent and into the path of the midfielder, who swept home with his right foot from the edge of the box to score his maiden strike since last March.

Second Goal Seals Control

The scorer was implicated in Forest’s second goal on the brink of half-time, as well, his unmarked header parried by Malmö’s shot-stopper Ellborg but Kalimuendo poised to convert the rebound from point-blank range. McAtee, the playmaker given a rare start and only his second appearance since September, was the spark, chipping a perfect ball towards Yates at the back post.

Just moments before, Callum Hudson-Odoi low effort was deflected aside off Malmö defender Rösler, the son of former Manchester City forward Uwe Rösler, and an unmarked Milenkovic had earlier had a powerful header smartly repelled by Ellborg, who returned in place of the former Aston Villa goalkeeper Robin Olsen.

Opponent's Difficulties

This was Malmö’s first match since the domestic league concluded on 9 November, and they found it hard to match the home team's intensity. Forest made it 3-0 when Milenkovic applied the finishing touch after his centre-back partner Murillo headed back a set-piece. The captain had a shot blocked, but the Serbian defender Milenkovic feasted on the rebound.

Forest then pushed for more, with the winger chipping a right-foot shot on to the crossbar before Ibrahim Sangaré sent an ambitious effort off target from distance. It was that kind of evenings. The manager, mindful of the upcoming league game here against Brighton, implemented multiple alterations from the side that stunned the Reds at Anfield recently, when they also netted three goals, though he called on substitutes and further fresh legs during the final period.

Smooth Evening for the Team

It turned out to be a flawless evening for Nottingham Forest. Dyche could withdraw the defender with the match already boxed off and subsequently introduced 19-year-old full-back Jimmy Sinclair for his first-team debut. Dyche discussed the Forest old guard supplying “valuable insights” at weekly get-togethers and, almost five decades on, the present squad showed they are capable of producing of excitement, too.