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“Champions of Europe, you’ll never sing that,” was chanted through the City Ground as Forest followers celebrated a further success against Malmö. A great deal has occurred since Trevor Francis’s winning header secured the European Cup back in 1979, but the club still hold dear those glorious moments. Similarly, significant shifts have taken place in the weeks since Sean Dyche took charge, with the team appearing refreshed and earning a convincing victory courtesy of goals from Arnaud Kalimuendo, Ryan Yates, and Nikola Milenkovic, boosting their prospects of advancing in the Europa League.

Gaining Momentum with Third Straight Win

For Nottingham Forest, this result – against a Swedish side that had not played for almost three weeks after finishing sixth in their domestic league – marked a third consecutive triumph across every tournament and further built on the momentum gained from last weekend’s stunning victory at Anfield. While this match was a re-run of Forest’s European Cup triumph in name, the encounter itself was devoid of any significant tension or nerves.

This was an occasion filled with sentiment, an longed-for reunion and the third clash between the sides since the showpiece event over four decades past.

The home side fully embraced the history, paying tribute to the legends of 1979 by giving them, along with their visiting counterparts, the VIP welcome. 13 members of the Swedish club’s squad from then were also present. The two clubs shared a meal together prior to the match. Frank Clark, Colin Barrett and company were given a rousing reception when they assembled on the pitch a quarter of an hour before kick-off, and a typically superb tifo was unveiled in the home stand.

Recalling 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 ensued, the remaining section was unfurled as the players came out from the tunnel. “And there’s Francis,” it stated. Another stunning tifo showed Clough observing proceedings beside his right-hand man Taylor on a bench at the Munich stadium.

Control from the Outset

So, the hosts had drunk in those beautiful memories, but what about the performance on the night? It was pretty good, as well. They were in complete control from the moment Kalimuendo fired an effort wide inside two minutes and built a two-goal lead by the break. Domínguez sent an early header off target and then Zach Abbott, on his first European start, tried his luck.

It seemed appropriate that Ryan Yates, who came to the club aged eight, made the first dent in the visitors' defence led by their own academy product captain, Pontus Jansson, previously of Leeds and Brentford FC. The home defender Milenkovic saw a delivery deflect off a opponent and into the pathway of Yates, who finished right-footed from just inside the box to score his first goal since last March.

Another Goal Confirms Control

Yates was implicated in the team's second goal on the verge of half-time, as well, his free header parried by Malmö’s shot-stopper Melker Ellborg but the alert forward on hand to tap in the loose ball from close range. McAtee, the playmaker handed a rare start and only his second appearance since September, was the spark, lofting a perfect ball towards his teammate at the back post.

Just moments before, Callum Hudson-Odoi low effort was turned aside off Malmö defender Colin Rösler, son of ex- Manchester City striker Uwe Rösler, and an free the defender had earlier had a strong header instinctively repelled by the keeper, who returned in place of the ex- Villa goalkeeper Olsen.

Opponent's Struggles

This was the Swedish side's first match since the domestic league ended on November 9th, and they struggled to match Forest’s intensity. The Reds extended the lead to three when the defender scored after his defensive colleague Murillo headed back a set-piece. The captain had a volley stopped, but the Serbia centre-back Milenkovic feasted on the rebound.

The home side then pushed for more, with the winger dinking a right-foot shot on to the crossbar before Sangaré sent an optimistic effort wide from 30 yards. It was that kind of nights. Dyche, mindful of Sunday’s domestic fixture here against Brighton, implemented multiple alterations from the team that stunned Liverpool at Anfield recently, when they also netted three goals, though he called on substitutes and Igor Jesus during the final period.

Smooth Evening for the Team

It proved a hiccup-free evening for Forest. Dyche could take off Murillo with the game already sewn up and subsequently brought on teenage full-back Jimmy Sinclair for his first-team debut. He talked about the Forest old guard providing “bits of gold” at weekly get-togethers and, almost five decades on, the present squad showed they are capable of a few nuggets of excitement, too.