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“Champions of Europe, you’ll never sing that,” rang out around the stadium as Forest fans reveled in a further success against their Swedish opponents. A great deal has transpired since Trevor Francis’s decisive header secured the continental trophy back in 1979, but the club continue to hold dear those glorious moments. Similarly, major shifts have taken place in the five weeks since Sean Dyche assumed control, with Forest looking reinvigorated and securing a comfortable win thanks to goals from Arnaud Kalimuendo, Ryan Yates, and Nikola Milenkovic, boosting their prospects of advancing in the European competition.

Gaining Momentum with Another Straight Win

For Forest, this performance – against a Malmö side that had not played for almost three weeks after ending in sixth place in their home competition – represented a third consecutive win across every tournament and further built on the momentum generated from the previous week's stunning victory at Liverpool. While this match was a re-run of Forest’s European Cup triumph in name, the game itself was free of any significant jeopardy or nerves.

It proved to be an occasion filled with nostalgia, an eagerly awaited reunion and the third clash between the sides since the showpiece event 46 years ago.

The home side leaned into the history, honoring the legends of 1979 by providing them, along with their visiting opponents, the red-carpet treatment. Thirteen members of the Swedish club’s squad from then were also in attendance. Both teams shared a meal together before the kick-off. Forest legends and their teammates received a tumultuous reception when they gathered on the pitch a quarter of an hour before the start, and a characteristically superb tifo was shown in the home stand.

Recalling the Past

“30th May 1979, John Robertson delivered the ball from the left,” displayed half of a large tifo, in block capitals. While nobody required a reminder of what ensued, the rest was unfurled as the players came out from the dressing rooms. “And there’s Francis,” it stated. A second brilliant display showed Clough observing proceedings beside his right-hand man Taylor on a dugout at the Olympiastadion.

Control from the Start

So, Forest had drunk in those beautiful memories, but what about the showing on the night? It was strong, too. They were in complete control from the moment the forward fired an attempt wide inside the opening moments and built a 2-0 lead by the half-time interval. Nicolás Domínguez sent an early header wide and then Zach Abbott, on his maiden European start, had a go.

It seemed appropriate that Yates, who came to the club as an eight-year-old, made the first dent in the visitors' defense led by their own academy product skipper, Jansson, formerly of Leeds United and Brentford. The Forest defender Nikola Milenkovic saw a cross cannon off a defender and into the pathway of Yates, who finished with his right foot from just inside the penalty area to register his maiden strike since March.

Second Strike Seals Dominance

Yates was involved in Forest’s next goal on the verge of the interval, too, his unmarked header parried by Malmö’s shot-stopper Melker Ellborg but Kalimuendo poised to convert the rebound from close range. James McAtee, the midfielder given a seldom start and only his second outing since September, was the spark, chipping a delicious ball towards his teammate at the far post.

Just moments before, Hudson-Odoi’s driven shot was deflected wide off the back Rösler, the son of former Manchester City forward Uwe, and an unmarked Milenkovic also earlier had a strong header smartly repelled by Ellborg, who was back in place of the ex- Aston Villa goalkeeper Olsen.

Malmö’s Struggles

This was the Swedish side's initial game since the Swedish Allsvenskan ended on 9 November, and they found it hard to equal Forest’s intensity. Forest extended the lead to three when the defender scored after his defensive colleague Murillo kept alive a corner. The captain had a shot blocked, but the Serbian defender Milenkovic feasted on the leftovers.

The home side then went for the jugular, with the winger chipping a right-foot shot on to the crossbar before Ibrahim Sangaré sent an optimistic shot off target from 30 yards. It was that kind of nights. Dyche, mindful of the upcoming domestic fixture here against Brighton & Hove Albion, made multiple alterations from the side that stunned Liverpool at their ground recently, when they additionally netted three times, though he introduced Elliot Anderson, Dan Ndoye and Igor Jesus midway through the second half.

Smooth Evening for Forest

It proved a hiccup-free evening for Nottingham Forest. The coach could take off the defender with the game long since boxed off and later introduced 19-year-old full-back Jimmy Sinclair for his first-team debut. He discussed the Forest old guard providing “valuable insights” at weekly get-togethers and, nearly fifty years on, the current crop showed they are able of producing of excitement, as well.