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“You’ll never sing that, champions of Europe,” echoed around the stadium as Forest fans celebrated another win against Malmö. Much has occurred since Trevor Francis’s decisive header clinched the European Cup in the year 1979, but the club continue to treasure those glorious moments. Similarly, significant shifts have occurred in the weeks since the manager took charge, with Forest looking reinvigorated and earning a comfortable victory courtesy of goals from Kalimuendo, Ryan Yates, and Nikola Milenkovic, boosting their hopes of progressing in the Europa League.

Building Momentum with Third Straight Victory

For Nottingham Forest, this result – against a Malmö side that had been inactive for almost three weeks after ending in sixth place in their domestic league – represented a third consecutive win across all competitions and further built on the momentum gained from the previous week's success at Anfield. While this match was a re-run of Forest’s historic success in spirit, the game itself was free of any real jeopardy or nerves.

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

The home side leaned into the heritage, paying tribute to the legends of 1979 by providing them, along with their visiting counterparts, the red-carpet treatment. Thirteen members of the Swedish club’s team from that time were additionally present. The two clubs enjoyed a dinner together before the match. Frank Clark, Colin Barrett and their teammates received a tumultuous welcome when they assembled on the field a quarter of an hour before kick-off, and a typically impressive tifo was unveiled in the home stand.

Remembering the Past

“May 30, 1979, John Robertson crossed it in from the left flank,” read one part of a large banner, in capital letters. While nobody required a reminder of what happened next, the remaining section was unfurled as the squads came out from the dressing rooms. “And there’s Francis,” it stated. Another brilliant display showed Clough observing proceedings beside his right-hand man Taylor on a bench at the Olympiastadion.

Dominance from the Start

So, Forest had drunk in those wonderful memories, but what about the performance on the night? It was pretty good, too. They were in full command from the moment Kalimuendo fired an attempt off target inside two minutes and built a 2-0 advantage by the half-time interval. Nicolás Domínguez sent an early header wide and then Zach Abbott, on his maiden European start, tried his luck.

It seemed appropriate that Yates, who joined Forest aged eight, made the first dent in the visitors' defense led by their own academy product captain, Jansson, previously of Leeds and Brentford FC. The Forest defender Milenkovic saw a delivery cannon off a defender and into the pathway of Yates, who finished with his right foot from the edge of the box to register his first goal since last March.

Another Strike Confirms Dominance

Yates was implicated in Forest’s second goal on the verge of the interval, as well, his free header saved by the goalkeeper Ellborg but Kalimuendo on hand to tap in the loose ball from close range. McAtee, the midfielder handed a seldom start and only his second appearance since September, was the catalyst, lofting a delicious ball towards Yates at the back post.

Just moments before, Hudson-Odoi’s driven shot was turned wide off the defender Rösler, son of former Man City striker Uwe, and an free Milenkovic had earlier had a powerful header smartly repelled by the keeper, who returned in place of the former Aston Villa goalkeeper Robin Olsen.

Malmö’s Struggles

This was the Swedish side's initial game since the domestic league ended on November 9th, and they struggled to match the home team's energy. Forest extended the lead to three when the defender applied the finishing touch after his defensive colleague Murillo kept alive a corner. Yates had a volley blocked, but the Serbia defender Milenkovic pounced on the rebound.

The home side then pushed for more, with Hudson-Odoi dinking a right-foot shot on to the bar before Sangaré sent an ambitious shot off target from 30 yards. It was that kind of evenings. The manager, mindful of Sunday’s domestic fixture here against Brighton & Hove Albion, implemented seven changes from the team that surprised Liverpool at their ground last weekend, when they additionally scored three times, though he introduced substitutes and further fresh legs during the second half.

Hiccup-Free Night for Forest

It turned out to be a flawless evening for Nottingham Forest. Dyche could take off Murillo with the match long since sewn up and later introduced teenage defender Jimmy Sinclair for his first-team debut. He discussed the club legends supplying “bits of gold” at regular meetings and, almost five decades on, the present squad showed they are capable of a few nuggets of thrills, too.