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“You’ll never sing that, champions of Europe,” was chanted through the ground as Nottingham Forest supporters celebrated a further win against Malmö. Much has happened since Trevor Francis’s winning header clinched the continental trophy back in the year 1979, but the club continue to hold dear those glorious moments. Similarly, major shifts have taken place in the five weeks since the manager assumed control, with Forest looking refreshed and earning a comfortable win thanks to goals from Arnaud Kalimuendo, Ryan Yates, and Nikola Milenkovic, enhancing their hopes of advancing in the Europa League.

Gaining Momentum with Third Consecutive Win

For 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 consecutive triumph across every tournament and added to the momentum gained from last weekend’s stunning victory at Liverpool. While this match was a re-run of the club's European Cup triumph in spirit, the game itself was devoid of any real tension or nerves.

It proved to be an occasion filled with sentiment, an eagerly awaited meeting and the third competitive clash between the teams since the European Cup final over four decades past.

Forest leaned into the history, paying tribute to the legends of 1979 by giving them, along with their visiting counterparts, the red-carpet treatment. 13 members of the Malmö's team from then were additionally in attendance. Both teams shared a dinner together before the match. Forest legends and company were given a tumultuous reception when they gathered on the pitch 15 minutes before the start, and a characteristically superb tifo was shown in the home stand.

Remembering the Past

“May 30, 1979, John Robertson crossed it in from the left,” displayed half of a giant banner, in block capitals. While nobody required a reminder of what happened next, the rest was unfurled as the players emerged from the tunnel. “There is Francis,” it continued. A second stunning display depicted Clough watching events beside his right-hand man Peter Taylor on a bench at the Munich stadium.

Dominance from the Outset

So, the hosts had soaked up those wonderful memories, but what about the showing on the night? It was strong, too. They were in full command from the moment the forward fired an attempt wide inside two minutes and built a 2-0 advantage by the break. Nicolás Domínguez sent an early header off target and then Abbott, on his first European start, tried his luck.

It seemed appropriate that Ryan Yates, who came to the club as an eight-year-old, made the first dent in the visitors' defence led by their own homegrown captain, Pontus Jansson, previously of Leeds and Brentford FC. The Forest centre-back Milenkovic saw a delivery deflect off a defender and into the path of Yates, who finished right-footed from just inside the penalty area to score his first goal since last March.

Another Strike Confirms Dominance

Yates was implicated in the team's second goal on the brink of half-time, as well, his free header parried by the shot-stopper Ellborg but Kalimuendo on hand to tap in the rebound from close range. McAtee, the midfielder handed a rare start and just his second outing since the autumn, was the spark, chipping a delicious ball towards Yates at the back post.

A minute earlier, Callum Hudson-Odoi low effort was deflected wide off the defender Rösler, son of ex- Manchester City striker Uwe, and an free Milenkovic had earlier had a strong header instinctively repelled by Ellborg, who was back in place of the former Villa goalie Olsen.

Malmö’s Difficulties

This was Malmö’s first match since the domestic league concluded on November 9th, and they struggled to equal Forest’s energy. Forest extended the lead to three when the defender scored after his defensive colleague Murillo headed back a corner. Yates had a volley stopped, but the Serbian defender Milenkovic feasted on the rebound.

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 ambitious shot wide from distance. It was that kind of evenings. Dyche, aware of Sunday’s league game here against Brighton, made seven changes from the side that surprised Liverpool at Anfield last weekend, when they additionally netted three goals, though he called on Elliot Anderson, Dan Ndoye and further fresh legs midway through the final period.

Smooth Night for Forest

It proved a flawless evening for Nottingham Forest. Dyche could take off Murillo with the match long since boxed off and subsequently introduced teenage defender Jimmy Sinclair for his senior bow. Dyche discussed the club legends providing “valuable insights” at regular meetings and, nearly fifty years on, the current crop showed they are able of producing of thrills, too.