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“You’ll never sing that, champions of Europe,” was chanted through the stadium as Forest fans celebrated another win against their Swedish opponents. Much has occurred since Trevor Francis’s winning header clinched the European Cup back in the year 1979, but the club still hold dear those glorious moments. Similarly, major changes have taken place in the weeks since Sean Dyche assumed control, with the team looking refreshed and securing a comfortable win courtesy of goals from Arnaud Kalimuendo, Ryan Yates, and Milenkovic, boosting their prospects of advancing in the Europa League.

Gaining Momentum with Another Consecutive Win

For Forest, this result – against a Malmö side that had been inactive for almost three weeks after ending in sixth place in their domestic league – represented a third consecutive triumph across every tournament and further built on the momentum gained from last weekend’s success at Anfield. While this match was a re-run of Forest’s European Cup success in name, the game itself was devoid of any significant jeopardy or jitters.

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

Forest leaned into the heritage, paying tribute to the heroes of 1979 by providing them, along with their visiting opponents, the VIP welcome. Thirteen members of the Swedish club’s team from that time were also in attendance. The two clubs shared a dinner together prior to the kick-off. Forest legends and their teammates were given a rousing welcome when they gathered on the pitch 15 minutes before the start, and a typically superb tifo was shown in the Trent End.

Remembering the Past

“30th May 1979, John Robertson crossed it in from the left flank,” read one part of a large tifo, in block capitals. While nobody required a reminder of what ensued, the remaining section was unfurled as the squads came out from the dressing rooms. “There is Francis,” it stated. A second brilliant tifo depicted Clough watching proceedings beside his assistant Peter Taylor on a bench at the Munich stadium.

Control from the Outset

So, the hosts had drunk in those beautiful memories, but what about the performance on the night? It was pretty good, as well. They were in full command from the moment Kalimuendo fired an attempt off target inside the opening moments and built a 2-0 advantage by the half-time interval. Domínguez sent an early header wide and then Abbott, on his first European start, had a go.

It felt fitting that Ryan Yates, who joined the club aged eight, made the initial breakthrough in the Malmö defence captained by their own homegrown skipper, Pontus Jansson, previously of Leeds and Brentford. The home centre-back Milenkovic saw a cross cannon off a defender and into the path of Yates, who swept home with his right foot from just inside the penalty area to score his maiden strike since last March.

Second Goal Seals Control

The scorer was implicated in the team's next goal on the verge of the interval, too, his unmarked header saved by Malmö’s goalkeeper Melker Ellborg but Kalimuendo poised to convert the loose ball from point-blank range. James McAtee, the midfielder handed a seldom start and only his second appearance since the autumn, was the spark, chipping a perfect ball towards his teammate at the far post.

A minute earlier, Hudson-Odoi’s driven shot was turned wide off Malmö back Colin Rösler, son of ex- Man City forward Uwe Rösler, and an free Milenkovic also previously had a strong header smartly repelled by Ellborg, who returned in place of the former Villa goalie Olsen.

Opponent's Struggles

This was the Swedish side's first match since the Swedish Allsvenskan concluded on November 9th, and they struggled to equal Forest’s intensity. The Reds extended the lead to three when Milenkovic applied the finishing touch after his defensive colleague Murillo headed back a corner. The captain had a volley blocked, but the Serbia centre-back Milenkovic feasted on the rebound.

Forest then pushed for more, with the winger chipping a effort on to the bar before Ibrahim Sangaré sent an optimistic shot wide from distance. It was that kind of nights. Dyche, mindful of the upcoming domestic fixture here against Brighton, implemented seven changes from the side that surprised the Reds at their ground recently, when they additionally netted three times, though he introduced substitutes and Igor Jesus midway through the final period.

Smooth Night for the Team

It turned out to be a flawless evening for Nottingham Forest. Dyche could withdraw the defender with the match already sewn up and subsequently introduced 19-year-old defender Sinclair for his senior bow. Dyche talked about the club legends supplying “valuable insights” at weekly get-togethers and, almost five decades on, the current crop demonstrated they are capable of a few nuggets of thrills, as well.