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“Champions of Europe, you’ll never sing that,” was chanted around the stadium as Forest followers celebrated another success against Malmö. A great deal has transpired since Trevor Francis’s winning header secured the continental trophy back in the year 1979, but Forest continue to hold dear those glorious moments. Similarly, significant shifts have occurred in the five weeks since Sean Dyche took charge, with the team looking refreshed and securing a comfortable victory thanks to goals from Kalimuendo, Ryan Yates, and Milenkovic, enhancing their hopes of progressing in the Europa League.

Building Momentum with Third Straight Win

For Forest, this performance – against a Malmö side that had been inactive for almost three weeks after ending sixth in their domestic league – marked a third straight triumph across every tournament and added to the positive energy gained from last weekend’s success at Liverpool. While this match was a re-run of Forest’s historic success in name, the encounter itself was devoid of any real tension or jitters.

This was an event dripping in nostalgia, an longed-for meeting and the third competitive meeting between the teams since the showpiece event over four decades past.

Forest fully embraced the heritage, honoring the heroes of that era by providing them, along with their visiting counterparts, the VIP welcome. 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 their teammates were given a rousing welcome when they gathered on the field a quarter of an hour before kick-off, and a typically impressive display was unveiled in the home stand.

Recalling the Past

“30th May 1979, John Robertson delivered the ball from the left,” displayed half of a large tifo, in capital letters. While nobody required a reminder of what happened next, the rest was revealed as the players came out from the dressing rooms. “And there’s Francis,” it stated. Another stunning tifo depicted Clough observing events beside his right-hand man Peter Taylor on a bench at the Olympiastadion.

Control from the Outset

So, the hosts had soaked up those wonderful memories, but what about the showing on the night? It was strong, too. They were in full command from the moment the forward fired an attempt wide inside two minutes and established a two-goal lead by the half-time interval. Nicolás Domínguez sent an early header wide and then Abbott, on his maiden European start, had a go.

It seemed appropriate that Yates, who came to Forest aged eight, made the initial breakthrough in the Malmö defense captained by their own homegrown skipper, Jansson, previously of Leeds and Brentford. The Forest defender Nikola Milenkovic saw a cross cannon off a defender and into the pathway of Yates, who finished right-footed from the edge of the box to register his first goal since last March.

Second Goal Seals Control

The scorer was involved in Forest’s second goal on the brink of the interval, as well, his free header parried by the goalkeeper Ellborg but Kalimuendo on hand to convert the rebound from close range. McAtee, the playmaker handed a seldom start and only his second appearance since September, was the spark, lofting a delicious ball towards his teammate at the back post.

A minute earlier, Hudson-Odoi’s driven shot was turned aside off Malmö defender Colin Rösler, son of ex- Man City forward Uwe, and an unmarked Milenkovic had earlier had a strong header instinctively repelled by the keeper, who was back in place of the ex- Villa goalkeeper Olsen.

Malmö’s Struggles

This was Malmö’s first match since the domestic league ended on November 9th, and they struggled to match the home team's intensity. The Reds made it 3-0 when the defender applied the finishing touch after his defensive colleague Murillo kept alive a corner. Yates had a shot blocked, but the Serbia centre-back Milenkovic feasted on the rebound.

The home side then went for the jugular, with Hudson-Odoi chipping a right-foot shot on to the crossbar before Sangaré sent an optimistic shot wide from 30 yards. It was one of those evenings. The manager, aware of Sunday’s league game here against Brighton, made multiple alterations from the side that stunned Liverpool at Anfield last weekend, when they also netted three goals, though he called on Elliot Anderson, Dan Ndoye and Igor Jesus midway through the final period.

Hiccup-Free Night for the Team

It turned out to be a flawless evening for Nottingham Forest. Dyche could take off Murillo with the match already boxed off and later brought on 19-year-old defender Jimmy Sinclair for his first-team debut. Dyche talked about the Forest old guard supplying “valuable insights” at regular meetings and, almost five decades on, the current crop demonstrated they are capable of producing of thrills, too.