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“Champions of Europe, you’ll never sing that,” rang out around the ground as Forest followers reveled in another win against Malmö. Much has transpired since Trevor Francis’s winning header secured the European Cup in the year 1979, but the club still hold dear those glorious moments. Equally, significant changes have occurred in the weeks since Sean Dyche assumed control, with the team looking refreshed and earning a convincing win courtesy of goals from Arnaud Kalimuendo, Yates, and Milenkovic, enhancing their hopes of advancing in the European competition.

Gaining Momentum with Third Consecutive Win

For Nottingham Forest, this performance – against a Swedish side that had not played for almost three weeks after ending in sixth place in their domestic league – represented a third consecutive triumph across all competitions and further built on the momentum gained from the previous week's stunning victory at Liverpool. While this fixture was a reminder of Forest’s historic success in name, the encounter itself was devoid of any real jeopardy or nerves.

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

Forest leaned into the history, honoring the heroes of 1979 by providing them, along with their Malmö counterparts, the VIP welcome. Thirteen members of the Swedish club’s team from that time were also present. Both teams enjoyed a dinner together prior to the match. Frank Clark, Colin Barrett and their teammates were given a tumultuous reception when they gathered on the field 15 minutes before kick-off, and a typically superb tifo was shown in the Trent End.

Recalling the Past

“30th May 1979, John Robertson crossed it in from the left flank,” read one part of a giant banner, in block capitals. While no one needed reminding of what happened next, the rest was unfurled as the squads emerged from the dressing rooms. “There is Francis,” it continued. A second stunning tifo showed Brian Clough observing events beside his right-hand man Taylor on a bench at the Munich stadium.

Control from the Start

So, the hosts had soaked up those wonderful memories, but what about the showing on the evening? It was strong, 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. Domínguez sent an early header wide and then Zach Abbott, on his first European start, had a go.

It seemed appropriate that Ryan Yates, who came to the club 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 home centre-back Nikola Milenkovic saw a delivery deflect off a defender and into the path of the midfielder, who finished right-footed from the edge of the box to register his maiden strike since last March.

Another Goal Confirms Dominance

The scorer was involved in the team's second goal on the verge of half-time, as well, his unmarked header saved by Malmö’s goalkeeper Melker Ellborg but the alert forward on hand to tap in the rebound from close range. McAtee, the midfielder given a rare start and only his second outing since the autumn, was the spark, lofting a perfect ball towards his teammate at the back post.

A minute earlier, Callum Hudson-Odoi driven shot was deflected aside off the back Rösler, son of former Man City striker Uwe, and an free the defender had earlier had a strong header smartly repelled by Ellborg, who was back in place of the former Aston Villa goalie Olsen.

Malmö’s Struggles

This was the Swedish side's first match since the Swedish Allsvenskan concluded on November 9th, and they struggled to match the home team's intensity. Forest extended the lead to three when Milenkovic scored after his centre-back partner Murillo headed back a set-piece. Yates had a shot stopped, but the Serbia centre-back Milenkovic pounced on the rebound.

Forest then went for the jugular, with Hudson-Odoi chipping a right-foot shot on to the crossbar before Sangaré sent an ambitious shot off target from 30 yards. It was one of those evenings. Dyche, aware of Sunday’s domestic fixture here against Brighton & Hove Albion, made seven changes from the team that surprised Liverpool at Anfield recently, when they additionally netted three times, though he introduced substitutes and further fresh legs midway through the second half.

Smooth Evening for Forest

It turned out to be a flawless night for Nottingham Forest. Dyche could take off the defender with the game long since sewn up and later introduced teenage defender Jimmy Sinclair for his first-team debut. He discussed the Forest old guard providing “bits of gold” at weekly get-togethers and, almost five decades on, the present squad demonstrated they are capable of producing of thrills, too.