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“You’ll never sing that, champions of Europe,” rang out through the ground as Nottingham Forest followers reveled in another success against Malmö. Much has happened since Trevor Francis’s decisive header secured the continental trophy back in the year 1979, but Forest still hold dear those memories. Equally, significant changes have occurred in the weeks since Sean Dyche assumed control, with the team looking reinvigorated and earning a comfortable win thanks to goals from Arnaud Kalimuendo, Ryan Yates, and Milenkovic, boosting their hopes of advancing in the Europa League.

Gaining Steam with Third Consecutive Win

For Nottingham Forest, this performance – against a Malmö side that had not played for nearly a month after finishing sixth in their home competition – marked a third straight triumph across all competitions and further built on the momentum generated from the previous week's success at Liverpool. While this fixture was a re-run of Forest’s European Cup triumph in spirit, the encounter itself was devoid of any real tension or nerves.

It proved to be an occasion dripping in nostalgia, an eagerly awaited reunion and the third meeting between the teams since the European Cup final 46 years ago.

The home side fully embraced the heritage, honoring the heroes of that era by providing them, along with their visiting opponents, the red-carpet treatment. Thirteen members of the Swedish club’s squad from that time were additionally present. Both teams shared a dinner together prior to the kick-off. Forest legends and their teammates were given a rousing reception when they assembled on the field 15 minutes before the start, and a characteristically impressive display was shown in the home stand.

Remembering History

“May 30, 1979, Robertson delivered the ball from the left,” displayed one part of a giant tifo, in capital letters. While no one required a reminder of what happened next, the rest was revealed as the players came out from the tunnel. “And there’s Francis,” it stated. A second stunning display showed Clough observing proceedings beside his right-hand man Taylor on a dugout at the Olympiastadion.

Control from the Outset

So, the hosts had soaked up those wonderful recollections, but what about the performance on the night? It was impressive, as well. They were in complete control from the moment the forward fired an effort off target inside two minutes and built a 2-0 lead by the break. Nicolás Domínguez sent an early header off target and then Zach Abbott, on his first European start, tried his luck.

It felt fitting that Ryan Yates, who joined the club as an eight-year-old, made the initial breakthrough in the visitors' defense led by their own homegrown captain, Jansson, previously of Leeds and Brentford FC. The home defender Nikola Milenkovic saw a delivery deflect off a defender and into the pathway of Yates, who finished with his right foot from just inside the penalty area to register his first goal since last March.

Another Strike Confirms Dominance

The scorer was implicated in Forest’s next goal on the verge of half-time, too, his free header parried by the shot-stopper Melker Ellborg but the alert forward poised to tap in the loose ball from point-blank range. James McAtee, the playmaker given a seldom start and just his second appearance since September, was the spark, chipping a delicious ball towards Yates at the far post.

Just moments before, Callum Hudson-Odoi low effort was turned wide off Malmö back Colin Rösler, son of former Man City striker Uwe, and an unmarked Milenkovic also earlier had a strong header instinctively repelled by Ellborg, who returned in place of the former Villa goalkeeper Olsen.

Opponent's Difficulties

This was Malmö’s first match since the domestic league concluded on November 9th, and they struggled to equal the home team's intensity. Forest extended the lead to three when the defender applied the finishing touch after his defensive colleague Murillo headed back a corner. Yates had a shot blocked, but the Serbia centre-back Milenkovic feasted 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 shot off target from 30 yards. It was one of those nights. Dyche, mindful of the upcoming league game here against Brighton, made multiple alterations from the side that surprised Liverpool at their ground recently, when they also netted three times, though he introduced Elliot Anderson, Dan Ndoye and Igor Jesus midway through the second half.

Smooth Evening for Forest

It turned out to be a flawless evening for Forest. Dyche could withdraw Murillo with the match long since sewn up and subsequently brought on 19-year-old defender Jimmy Sinclair for his first-team debut. Dyche discussed the Forest old guard providing “valuable insights” at weekly get-togethers and, almost five decades on, the current crop demonstrated they are able of a few nuggets of excitement, too.