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“Champions of Europe, you’ll never sing that,” echoed through the City Ground as Nottingham Forest supporters celebrated another success against Malmö. A great deal has transpired since Trevor Francis’s winning header secured the European Cup in 1979, but Forest continue to hold dear those glorious moments. Similarly, significant changes have taken place in the five weeks since Sean Dyche took charge, with the team looking reinvigorated and securing a convincing win thanks to goals from Arnaud Kalimuendo, Ryan Yates, and Nikola Milenkovic, enhancing their hopes of progressing in the European competition.

Building Momentum with Another Consecutive Win

For Nottingham Forest, this result – against a Swedish side that had not played for nearly a month after finishing in sixth place in their home competition – marked a third straight win across every tournament and further built on the positive energy gained from the previous week's success at Anfield. While this fixture was a re-run of Forest’s European Cup success in spirit, the encounter itself was devoid of any real tension or nerves.

It proved to be an occasion dripping in sentiment, an eagerly awaited reunion and the third meeting between the sides since the showpiece event over four decades past.

Forest leaned into the history, paying tribute to the heroes of that era by providing them, along with their visiting counterparts, the VIP welcome. Thirteen members of the Malmö's squad from that time were also present. Both teams shared a dinner together before the match. Frank Clark, Colin Barrett and their teammates were given a rousing reception when they gathered on the pitch a quarter of an hour before the start, and a characteristically impressive tifo was shown in the Trent End.

Recalling the Past

“30th May 1979, Robertson crossed it in from the left,” read half of a large banner, in capital letters. While no one required a reminder of what ensued, the rest was revealed as the squads came out from the tunnel. “And there’s Francis,” it continued. A second brilliant display depicted Clough watching proceedings beside his assistant Peter Taylor on a bench at the Olympiastadion.

Control from the Outset

So, the hosts had drunk in those beautiful recollections, but what about the showing on the night? It was impressive, as well. They were in full command from the moment Kalimuendo fired 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 off target and then Abbott, on his first European start, tried his luck.

It seemed appropriate that Yates, who came to the club as an eight-year-old, made the first dent in the Malmö defense led by their own academy product captain, Pontus Jansson, formerly of Leeds United and Brentford. The home defender Milenkovic saw a delivery deflect off a defender and into the pathway of Yates, who swept home with his right foot from the edge of the box to score his maiden strike since March.

Second Strike Confirms Dominance

Yates was implicated in Forest’s second goal on the verge of half-time, too, his unmarked header saved by Malmö’s shot-stopper Melker Ellborg but Kalimuendo poised to tap in the rebound from point-blank range. McAtee, the playmaker handed a seldom start and just his second appearance since September, was the spark, chipping a perfect ball towards his teammate at the far post.

Just moments before, Callum Hudson-Odoi low effort was deflected aside off the back Rösler, the son of ex- Manchester City forward Uwe Rösler, and an unmarked Milenkovic also previously had a powerful header instinctively saved by Ellborg, who was back in place of the former Villa goalie Olsen.

Malmö’s Struggles

This was Malmö’s first match since the Swedish Allsvenskan concluded on November 9th, and they struggled to equal the home team's energy. Forest extended the lead to three when the defender applied the finishing touch after his centre-back partner Murillo headed back a corner. The captain had a shot stopped, but the Serbia defender Milenkovic feasted on the rebound.

Forest then pushed for more, with the winger chipping a right-foot shot on to the bar before Sangaré sent an ambitious shot off target from distance. It was that kind of evenings. The manager, aware of the upcoming domestic fixture here against Brighton, made seven changes from the side that stunned Liverpool at Anfield last weekend, when they additionally scored three times, though he introduced Elliot Anderson, Dan Ndoye and further fresh legs midway through the second half.

Smooth Night for Forest

It turned out to be a flawless night for Nottingham Forest. The coach could take off the defender with the match already sewn up and later introduced 19-year-old full-back Sinclair for his first-team debut. Dyche talked about the club legends supplying “valuable insights” at regular meetings and, nearly fifty years on, the present squad showed they are capable of producing of thrills, too.