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“Champions of Europe, you’ll never sing that,” rang out around the stadium as Forest followers celebrated another win against Malmö. A great deal has transpired since Trevor Francis’s winning header clinched the continental trophy back in the year 1979, but Forest continue to cherish those glorious moments. Equally, major shifts have taken place in the five weeks since the manager took charge, with the team appearing refreshed and earning a convincing win courtesy of goals from Kalimuendo, Ryan Yates, and Nikola Milenkovic, boosting their hopes of progressing in the Europa League.

Building Steam with Third Straight Victory

For Forest, this result – against a Swedish side that had not played for nearly a month after finishing in sixth place in their home competition – represented a third consecutive win across every tournament and further built on the momentum gained from the previous week's success at Liverpool. While this fixture was a reminder of the club's historic success in spirit, the encounter itself was free of any real tension or jitters.

This was an event filled with sentiment, an eagerly awaited reunion and the third competitive meeting between the sides since the European Cup final 46 years ago.

Forest fully embraced the heritage, paying tribute to the legends of 1979 by providing them, along with their Malmö counterparts, the VIP welcome. Thirteen members of the Swedish club’s squad from that time were additionally present. The two clubs shared a dinner together before the kick-off. Frank Clark, Colin Barrett and their teammates were given a tumultuous welcome when they gathered on the pitch a quarter of an hour before kick-off, and a typically superb tifo was unveiled in the Trent End.

Recalling the Past

“May 30, 1979, Robertson delivered the ball from the left flank,” read one part of a giant tifo, in capital letters. While nobody required a reminder of what happened next, the rest was unfurled as the squads emerged from the dressing rooms. “There is Francis,” it continued. Another stunning tifo depicted Clough watching proceedings beside his assistant Taylor on a bench at the Munich stadium.

Control from the Start

So, the hosts had soaked up those wonderful recollections, but what about the showing on the evening? It was strong, as well. They were in complete control from the moment Kalimuendo whistled an effort off target inside the opening moments and established a 2-0 lead by the half-time interval. Nicolás Domínguez sent an early header wide and then Abbott, on his maiden European start, tried his luck.

It seemed appropriate that Yates, who joined the club aged eight, made the first dent in the Malmö defense captained by their own academy product skipper, Pontus Jansson, previously of Leeds United and Brentford. The home centre-back Nikola Milenkovic saw a delivery cannon off a defender and into the pathway of Yates, who swept home right-footed from the edge of the box to register his first goal since March.

Another Goal Seals Dominance

The scorer was implicated in Forest’s second goal on the brink of half-time, too, his free header saved by Malmö’s shot-stopper Ellborg but Kalimuendo on hand to tap in the loose ball from point-blank range. James McAtee, the midfielder handed a seldom start and just his second outing since September, was the catalyst, chipping a delicious ball towards Yates at the far post.

A minute earlier, Hudson-Odoi’s low effort was deflected wide off Malmö back Rösler, the son of former Man City striker Uwe, and an free Milenkovic also previously had a powerful header instinctively saved by the keeper, who was back in place of the former Villa goalie Robin Olsen.

Malmö’s Difficulties

This was the Swedish side's initial game since the domestic league ended on 9 November, and they found it hard to match Forest’s intensity. The Reds made it 3-0 when Milenkovic scored after his defensive colleague Murillo kept alive a set-piece. The captain had a volley stopped, but the Serbia centre-back Milenkovic feasted on the leftovers.

Forest then went for the jugular, with the winger dinking a right-foot shot on to the crossbar before Ibrahim Sangaré sent an optimistic shot wide from distance. It was one of those evenings. The manager, mindful of Sunday’s league game here against Brighton & Hove Albion, made multiple alterations from the side that surprised the Reds at their ground recently, when they also netted three goals, though he introduced Elliot Anderson, Dan Ndoye and Igor Jesus midway through the final period.

Smooth Night for the Team

It proved a hiccup-free night for Forest. The coach could take off the defender with the game long since sewn up and later introduced teenage full-back Sinclair for his senior bow. Dyche talked about the club legends supplying “valuable insights” at regular meetings and, almost five decades on, the current crop showed they are capable of a few nuggets of excitement, too.