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“Champions of Europe, you’ll never sing that,” echoed through the ground as Forest followers celebrated another win against their Swedish opponents. A great deal has happened since Trevor Francis’s decisive header clinched the continental trophy back in the year 1979, but the club continue to treasure those memories. Equally, significant changes have occurred in the weeks since Sean Dyche assumed control, with Forest looking reinvigorated and securing a comfortable victory courtesy of goals from Arnaud Kalimuendo, Yates, and Milenkovic, enhancing their prospects of advancing in the European competition.

Building Steam with Another Straight Victory

For Nottingham Forest, this result – against a Malmö side that had not played for nearly a month after finishing in sixth place in their domestic league – marked a third straight win across every tournament and added to the positive energy gained from the previous week's stunning victory at Anfield. While this match was a re-run of Forest’s European Cup success in name, the encounter itself was devoid of any real jeopardy or nerves.

It proved to be an event filled with nostalgia, an longed-for meeting and the third competitive meeting between the sides since the European Cup final over four decades past.

The home side fully embraced the history, honoring the legends of 1979 by providing them, along with their visiting counterparts, the VIP welcome. Thirteen members of the Malmö's squad from then were additionally in attendance. The two clubs enjoyed a meal together prior to the match. Frank Clark, Colin Barrett and company received a rousing reception when they assembled on the pitch a quarter of an hour before the start, and a typically superb tifo was unveiled in the home stand.

Remembering History

“30th May 1979, Robertson delivered the ball from the left flank,” displayed half of a large banner, in capital letters. While nobody required a reminder of what ensued, the rest was revealed as the players emerged from the tunnel. “There is Francis,” it continued. A second brilliant tifo depicted Clough observing proceedings beside his right-hand man Taylor on a dugout at the Olympiastadion.

Control from the Start

So, Forest had soaked up those beautiful recollections, but what about the showing on the night? It was pretty good, too. They were in full command from the moment the forward fired an effort wide inside the opening moments and established a two-goal advantage by the break. Nicolás Domínguez sent an early header wide and then Zach Abbott, on his first European start, had a go.

It seemed appropriate that Yates, who came to Forest as an eight-year-old, made the initial breakthrough in the Malmö defense led by their own academy product skipper, Pontus Jansson, previously of Leeds and Brentford. The home defender Milenkovic saw a delivery cannon off a defender and into the path of the midfielder, who finished right-footed from the edge of the penalty area to score his first goal since March.

Another Strike Confirms Control

Yates was implicated in Forest’s second goal on the verge of the interval, too, his free header saved by Malmö’s shot-stopper Ellborg but Kalimuendo on hand to tap in the loose ball from close range. James McAtee, the playmaker handed a rare start and just his second appearance since the autumn, was the spark, chipping a perfect ball towards his teammate at the back post.

A minute earlier, Callum Hudson-Odoi driven shot was deflected wide off the defender Rösler, son of former Manchester City striker Uwe, and an unmarked Milenkovic also previously had a strong header smartly saved by the keeper, who returned in place of the ex- Villa goalie Olsen.

Malmö’s Struggles

This was the Swedish side's initial game since the Swedish Allsvenskan concluded on 9 November, and they struggled to equal the home team's intensity. Forest extended the lead to three when Milenkovic scored after his defensive colleague Murillo kept alive a corner. The captain had a shot stopped, but the Serbian centre-back Milenkovic feasted on the leftovers.

Forest then went for the jugular, with Hudson-Odoi chipping a right-foot shot on to the bar before Sangaré sent an ambitious shot off target from distance. It was one of those nights. Dyche, mindful of the upcoming domestic fixture here against Brighton, implemented seven changes from the side that stunned Liverpool at Anfield recently, when they also scored three times, though he called on substitutes and further fresh legs during the second half.

Smooth Night for Forest

It turned out to be a hiccup-free evening for Nottingham Forest. Dyche could withdraw Murillo with the match already boxed off and later brought on teenage full-back 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 demonstrated they are able of producing of thrills, as well.