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“You’ll never sing that, champions of Europe,” was chanted through the City Ground as Nottingham Forest followers celebrated another win against Malmö. Much has transpired since Trevor Francis’s decisive header secured the European Cup in the year 1979, but Forest continue to hold dear those memories. Equally, significant changes have taken place in the five weeks since Sean Dyche took charge, with the team looking refreshed and securing a convincing victory thanks to goals from Kalimuendo, Yates, and Milenkovic, boosting their prospects of advancing in the European competition.

Building Momentum with Another Straight Victory

For Nottingham Forest, this performance – against a Malmö side that had not played for almost three weeks after ending sixth in their domestic league – represented a third consecutive triumph across all competitions and further built on the positive energy generated from the previous week's success at Anfield. While this fixture was a reminder of Forest’s European Cup triumph in name, the game itself was free of any real jeopardy or nerves.

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

Forest leaned into the heritage, paying tribute to the legends of that era by providing them, along with their visiting counterparts, the red-carpet treatment. Thirteen members of the Swedish club’s squad from that time were also in attendance. The two clubs enjoyed a dinner together prior to the match. Forest legends and their teammates were given a tumultuous welcome when they gathered on the pitch a quarter of an hour before the start, and a typically superb display was shown in the home stand.

Recalling History

“May 30, 1979, John Robertson crossed it in from the left flank,” displayed one part of a large tifo, in capital letters. While no one needed reminding of what ensued, the rest was revealed as the players emerged from the tunnel. “There is Francis,” it continued. Another brilliant display showed Clough observing proceedings beside his right-hand man Taylor on a dugout at the Munich stadium.

Control from the Outset

So, the hosts had soaked up those wonderful memories, but what about the performance on the night? It was impressive, too. They were in full command from the moment the forward whistled an effort off target inside two minutes and established a two-goal advantage by the half-time interval. Nicolás Domínguez sent an early header off target and then Abbott, on his first European start, tried his luck.

It seemed appropriate that Ryan Yates, who joined Forest as an eight-year-old, made the initial breakthrough in the visitors' defence led by their own homegrown skipper, Jansson, previously of Leeds United and Brentford FC. The Forest defender Milenkovic saw a cross deflect off a opponent and into the pathway of the midfielder, who swept home with his right foot from the edge of the penalty area to register his maiden strike since March.

Second Goal Seals Control

Yates was involved in the team's second goal on the verge of the interval, too, his free header parried by the goalkeeper Melker Ellborg but the alert forward on hand to convert the loose ball from point-blank range. James McAtee, the playmaker given a rare start and just his second outing since the autumn, was the catalyst, lofting a perfect ball towards his teammate at the far post.

Just moments before, Hudson-Odoi’s driven shot was deflected wide off Malmö back Colin Rösler, son of ex- Manchester City striker Uwe Rösler, and an unmarked Milenkovic had previously had a strong header smartly repelled by the keeper, who returned in place of the ex- Aston Villa goalie Olsen.

Malmö’s Difficulties

This was the Swedish side's initial game since the Swedish Allsvenskan concluded on November 9th, and they found it hard to match Forest’s intensity. Forest made it 3-0 when Milenkovic scored after his centre-back partner Murillo headed back a corner. The captain had a volley stopped, but the Serbian centre-back Milenkovic pounced on the rebound.

Forest then pushed for more, with the winger dinking a right-foot shot on to the bar before Ibrahim Sangaré sent an optimistic effort wide from distance. It was one of those evenings. Dyche, aware of Sunday’s league game here against Brighton & Hove Albion, implemented seven changes from the team that stunned the Reds at Anfield recently, when they additionally scored three times, though he introduced substitutes and further fresh legs midway through the final period.

Smooth Night for Forest

It turned out to be a flawless evening for Nottingham Forest. The coach could withdraw Murillo with the match already boxed off and subsequently introduced 19-year-old defender Sinclair for his first-team debut. Dyche discussed the Forest old guard providing “valuable insights” at regular meetings and, nearly fifty years on, the present squad showed they are able of a few nuggets of thrills, too.