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“You’ll never sing that, champions of Europe,” echoed around the ground as Nottingham Forest fans reveled in a further result against Malmö. Much has transpired since Trevor Francis’s winning header clinched the European Cup back in 1979, but Forest still cherish those memories. Similarly, significant changes have taken place in the weeks since Sean Dyche took charge, with the team looking reinvigorated and securing a comfortable victory courtesy of goals from Kalimuendo, Ryan Yates, and Milenkovic, boosting their prospects of advancing in the European competition.

Building Momentum with Third Straight Win

For Nottingham Forest, this performance – against a Malmö side that had not played for nearly a month after finishing sixth in their home competition – represented a third consecutive triumph across all competitions and added to the positive energy gained from last weekend’s stunning victory at Anfield. While this fixture was a reminder of Forest’s historic success in spirit, the game itself was devoid of any real tension or nerves.

It proved to be an event filled with sentiment, an eagerly awaited meeting and the third clash between the sides since the showpiece event over four decades past.

Forest fully embraced the history, paying tribute to the heroes of 1979 by giving them, along with their Malmö counterparts, the red-carpet treatment. Thirteen members of the Swedish club’s team from that time were also present. Both teams enjoyed a meal together before the kick-off. Frank Clark, Colin Barrett and their teammates were given a rousing reception when they gathered on the field a quarter of an hour before kick-off, and a characteristically impressive tifo was shown in the home stand.

Remembering History

“May 30, 1979, John Robertson delivered the ball from the left,” read half of a large 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 stated. A second brilliant display depicted Clough observing proceedings beside his right-hand man Taylor on a bench at the Olympiastadion.

Dominance from the Start

So, Forest had drunk in those beautiful memories, but what about the performance on the night? It was strong, as well. They were in complete control from the moment Kalimuendo whistled an attempt off target inside two minutes and established a 2-0 lead by the half-time interval. Domínguez sent an early header wide and then Zach Abbott, on his maiden European start, had a go.

It felt fitting that Ryan Yates, who joined Forest aged eight, made the first dent in the Malmö defense led by their own homegrown skipper, Jansson, formerly of Leeds and Brentford. The home defender Milenkovic saw a cross cannon off a opponent and into the path of the midfielder, who finished with his right foot from the edge of the penalty area to register his first goal since last March.

Second Strike Confirms Dominance

Yates was implicated in Forest’s next goal on the verge of the interval, too, his free header parried by the shot-stopper Ellborg but the alert forward poised to convert the loose ball from point-blank range. McAtee, the playmaker handed a rare start and only his second appearance since the autumn, was the catalyst, chipping a delicious ball towards his teammate at the back post.

A minute earlier, Callum Hudson-Odoi driven shot was deflected wide off Malmö defender Colin Rösler, son of former Man City forward Uwe, and an unmarked the defender had previously had a powerful header smartly saved by the keeper, who returned in place of the former Aston Villa goalie Robin Olsen.

Malmö’s Difficulties

This was the Swedish side's first match since the Swedish Allsvenskan ended on 9 November, and they found it hard to equal Forest’s energy. The Reds made it 3-0 when Milenkovic applied the finishing touch after his centre-back partner Murillo headed back a set-piece. Yates had a shot stopped, but the Serbian centre-back Milenkovic pounced on the rebound.

The home side then went for the jugular, with the winger chipping a effort on to the bar before Ibrahim Sangaré sent an ambitious effort wide from distance. It was one of those nights. The manager, mindful of Sunday’s league game here against Brighton, implemented seven changes from the team that stunned the Reds at Anfield recently, when they additionally scored three goals, though he called on Elliot Anderson, Dan Ndoye and further fresh legs midway through the second half.

Smooth Evening for the Team

It proved a hiccup-free night for Forest. The coach could withdraw Murillo with the game already boxed off and later brought on 19-year-old full-back Sinclair for his first-team debut. Dyche talked about the Forest old guard supplying “bits of gold” at regular meetings and, almost five decades on, the present squad showed they are able of a few nuggets of excitement, too.