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“Champions of Europe, you’ll never sing that,” echoed through the ground as Nottingham Forest fans celebrated another success against Malmö. A great deal has transpired since Trevor Francis’s winning header clinched the European Cup back in 1979, but Forest still cherish those memories. Equally, major shifts have occurred in the five weeks since Sean Dyche took charge, with the team looking reinvigorated and earning a comfortable victory thanks to goals from Kalimuendo, Ryan Yates, and Nikola Milenkovic, boosting their hopes of advancing in the European competition.

Gaining Steam with Third Consecutive Victory

For Nottingham Forest, this result – against a Swedish side that had not played for nearly a month after ending sixth in their home competition – marked a third straight win across every tournament and further built on the momentum gained from the previous week's success at Anfield. While this fixture was a re-run of Forest’s European Cup success in spirit, the game itself was free of any significant tension or nerves.

This was an event dripping in nostalgia, an eagerly awaited reunion and the third clash between the sides since the showpiece event 46 years ago.

The home side leaned into the history, honoring the legends of 1979 by providing them, along with their Malmö counterparts, the red-carpet treatment. 13 members of the Malmö's team from then were also in attendance. Both teams shared a dinner together prior to the kick-off. Frank Clark, Colin Barrett and company were given a rousing reception when they assembled on the field a quarter of an hour before the start, and a typically superb tifo was shown in the Trent End.

Recalling History

“May 30, 1979, Robertson crossed it in from the left,” read half of a giant banner, in capital letters. While nobody required a reminder of what happened next, the remaining section was unfurled as the squads emerged from the tunnel. “There is Francis,” it stated. Another brilliant tifo depicted Brian Clough watching proceedings beside his right-hand man Peter Taylor on a bench 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 pretty good, as well. They were in full command from the moment the forward fired an attempt off target inside the opening moments and established a 2-0 lead by the break. Nicolás Domínguez sent an early header off target and then Zach Abbott, on his maiden European start, tried his luck.

It seemed appropriate that Yates, who came to Forest as an eight-year-old, made the first dent in the Malmö defence led by their own academy product captain, Jansson, formerly of Leeds United and Brentford. The Forest defender Nikola Milenkovic saw a cross cannon off a defender and into the path of the midfielder, who swept home right-footed from just inside the box to register his first goal since March.

Second Strike Seals Dominance

Yates was implicated in Forest’s second goal on the verge of the interval, too, his unmarked header saved by the shot-stopper Melker Ellborg but the alert forward on hand to tap in the rebound from close range. McAtee, the playmaker handed a seldom start and only his second outing since the autumn, was the spark, chipping a perfect ball towards his teammate at the back post.

Just moments before, Callum Hudson-Odoi low effort was turned wide off Malmö defender Colin Rösler, the son of former Manchester City forward Uwe Rösler, and an free the defender also previously had a powerful header smartly repelled by the keeper, who was back in place of the ex- Villa goalkeeper Robin Olsen.

Opponent's Struggles

This was Malmö’s first match since the domestic league concluded on November 9th, and they found it hard to equal Forest’s intensity. The Reds extended the lead to three when Milenkovic applied the finishing touch after his centre-back partner Murillo kept alive a corner. The captain had a volley blocked, but the Serbian centre-back Milenkovic feasted on the leftovers.

Forest then pushed for more, with the winger chipping a effort on to the crossbar before Sangaré sent an ambitious effort off target from 30 yards. It was one of those nights. The manager, aware of Sunday’s domestic fixture here against Brighton & Hove Albion, implemented seven changes from the team that stunned Liverpool at Anfield recently, when they also scored three goals, though he called on substitutes and further fresh legs midway through the final period.

Smooth Night for the Team

It proved a flawless evening for Nottingham Forest. The coach could take off the defender with the game long since boxed off and later brought on teenage defender Jimmy Sinclair for his first-team debut. He discussed the club legends providing “bits of gold” at regular meetings and, almost five decades on, the current crop showed they are capable of a few nuggets of excitement, as well.