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“You’ll never sing that, champions of Europe,” echoed through the ground as Nottingham Forest followers reveled in another win against Malmö. Much has happened since Trevor Francis’s decisive header secured the continental trophy in 1979, but the club continue to hold dear those glorious moments. Equally, significant shifts have occurred in the weeks since the manager took charge, with the team looking refreshed and earning a comfortable victory thanks to goals from Kalimuendo, Ryan Yates, and Milenkovic, enhancing their hopes of progressing in the European competition.

Gaining Steam with Third Straight Victory

For Nottingham Forest, this result – against a Malmö side that had been inactive for nearly a month after ending sixth in their home competition – represented a third consecutive triumph across every tournament and added to the momentum gained from the previous week's stunning victory at Anfield. While this match was a re-run of the club's historic success in name, the game itself was devoid of any significant jeopardy or nerves.

This was an occasion dripping in sentiment, an eagerly awaited meeting and the third competitive meeting between the teams since the European Cup final 46 years ago.

The home side leaned into the heritage, honoring the legends of that era by providing them, along with their Malmö counterparts, the red-carpet treatment. 13 members of the Swedish club’s team from that time were also in attendance. Both teams enjoyed a meal together prior to the kick-off. Forest legends and company received a tumultuous welcome when they gathered on the pitch 15 minutes before kick-off, and a typically impressive tifo was shown in the Trent End.

Remembering the Past

“30th May 1979, Robertson delivered the ball from the left flank,” displayed half of a giant banner, in capital letters. While no one needed reminding of what ensued, the remaining section was unfurled as the players came out from the tunnel. “And there’s Francis,” it stated. A second stunning display showed Brian Clough observing events beside his right-hand man Peter Taylor on a dugout at the Olympiastadion.

Dominance from the Start

So, Forest had drunk in those wonderful memories, but what about the performance on the evening? It was strong, too. They were in complete control from the moment Kalimuendo whistled an attempt wide inside two minutes and established a two-goal lead by the half-time interval. Nicolás Domínguez sent an early header off target and then Zach Abbott, on his maiden European start, tried his luck.

It felt fitting that Yates, who joined Forest aged eight, made the first dent in the Malmö defence led by their own homegrown skipper, Pontus Jansson, formerly of Leeds United and Brentford FC. The home defender Milenkovic saw a cross cannon off a opponent and into the path of the midfielder, who swept home right-footed from just inside the penalty area to score his maiden strike since March.

Second Goal Seals Dominance

Yates was implicated in the team's second goal on the verge of the interval, too, his free header parried by Malmö’s goalkeeper Melker Ellborg but the alert forward on hand to tap in the loose ball from point-blank range. McAtee, the playmaker given a seldom start and only his second outing since September, was the catalyst, chipping a delicious ball towards Yates at the far post.

A minute earlier, Callum Hudson-Odoi low effort was deflected wide off the back Rösler, son of ex- Man City forward Uwe, and an free the defender also previously had a strong header instinctively repelled by the keeper, who was back in place of the former Aston Villa goalkeeper Robin Olsen.

Malmö’s Struggles

This was the Swedish side's initial game since the Swedish Allsvenskan ended on 9 November, and they struggled to equal the home team's intensity. Forest extended the lead to three when Milenkovic scored after his defensive colleague Murillo kept alive a corner. Yates had a volley stopped, but the Serbia defender Milenkovic pounced on the leftovers.

The home side then pushed for more, with Hudson-Odoi dinking a right-foot shot on to the crossbar before Ibrahim Sangaré sent an optimistic effort off target from distance. It was that kind of evenings. The manager, mindful of the upcoming league game here against Brighton & Hove Albion, made multiple alterations from the side that surprised Liverpool at Anfield last weekend, when they also scored three times, though he called on Elliot Anderson, Dan Ndoye and further fresh legs midway through the second half.

Hiccup-Free Evening for the Team

It proved a hiccup-free evening for Nottingham Forest. Dyche could take off the defender with the match long since sewn up and subsequently brought on teenage defender Jimmy Sinclair for his first-team debut. Dyche talked about the Forest old guard providing “valuable insights” at weekly get-togethers and, almost five decades on, the present squad showed they are able of a few nuggets of excitement, as well.