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“Champions of Europe, you’ll never sing that,” echoed around the City Ground as Forest fans reveled in a further success against Malmö. Much has happened since Francis's winning header clinched the European Cup back in the year 1979, but Forest still cherish those glorious moments. Equally, significant changes have occurred in the weeks since Sean Dyche took charge, with the team looking reinvigorated and earning a convincing victory courtesy of goals from Arnaud Kalimuendo, Ryan Yates, and Milenkovic, enhancing their prospects of progressing in the European competition.

Building Steam with Third Straight Win

For Nottingham Forest, this result – against a Malmö side that had not played for almost three weeks after ending sixth in their home competition – represented a third straight win across every tournament and further built on the positive energy generated from the previous week's success at Anfield. While this match was a re-run of Forest’s historic success in spirit, the encounter itself was free of any real tension or jitters.

It proved to be an event filled with sentiment, an eagerly awaited meeting and the third meeting between the teams since the showpiece event over four decades past.

Forest leaned into the history, paying tribute to the legends of that era by giving them, along with their Malmö opponents, the VIP welcome. Thirteen members of the Malmö's squad from then were additionally present. The two clubs enjoyed a dinner together before the kick-off. Forest legends and company received a tumultuous welcome when they assembled on the pitch a quarter of an hour before kick-off, and a typically impressive tifo was unveiled in the Trent End.

Remembering History

“May 30, 1979, Robertson delivered the ball from the left flank,” read half of a giant tifo, in block capitals. While nobody required a reminder of what happened next, the rest was unfurled as the players emerged from the tunnel. “And there’s Francis,” it stated. A second brilliant display showed Brian Clough observing events beside his right-hand man Peter Taylor on a dugout at the Olympiastadion.

Dominance from the Outset

So, Forest had soaked up those wonderful recollections, but what about the performance on the evening? It was impressive, too. They were in complete control from the moment the forward fired an effort wide inside two minutes and built a two-goal advantage by the break. Nicolás Domínguez sent an early header wide and then 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 first dent in the Malmö defence led by their own academy product skipper, Jansson, formerly of Leeds United and Brentford. The Forest centre-back Milenkovic saw a delivery cannon off a defender and into the path of Yates, who swept home right-footed from just inside the box to register his maiden strike since March.

Second Strike Confirms Control

The scorer was involved in the team's next goal on the brink of the interval, as well, his free header parried by Malmö’s goalkeeper Ellborg but Kalimuendo on hand to tap in the rebound from close range. McAtee, the midfielder given a rare start and only his second outing since September, was the spark, lofting a delicious ball towards his teammate at the far post.

A minute earlier, Callum Hudson-Odoi low effort was turned wide off the back Rösler, the son of former Man City forward Uwe Rösler, and an free Milenkovic also previously had a powerful header smartly saved by the keeper, who was back in place of the former Villa goalkeeper Olsen.

Malmö’s Difficulties

This was Malmö’s first match since the Swedish Allsvenskan concluded on 9 November, and they found it hard to match 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 volley stopped, but the Serbia centre-back Milenkovic feasted on the leftovers.

Forest then pushed for more, with Hudson-Odoi chipping a effort on to the crossbar before Ibrahim Sangaré sent an ambitious shot wide from distance. It was one of those nights. Dyche, mindful of the upcoming league game here against Brighton & Hove Albion, implemented multiple alterations from the side that stunned Liverpool at their ground recently, when they also netted three times, though he called on substitutes and Igor Jesus midway through the final period.

Smooth Night for Forest

It proved a hiccup-free evening for Forest. The coach could take off Murillo with the game long since boxed off and subsequently introduced teenage defender Jimmy Sinclair for his senior bow. Dyche discussed the club legends providing “bits of gold” at regular meetings and, nearly fifty years on, the present squad demonstrated they are capable of a few nuggets of excitement, as well.