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“Champions of Europe, you’ll never sing that,” echoed through the stadium as Forest supporters celebrated another result against Malmö. A great deal has occurred since Francis's decisive header secured the continental trophy back in 1979, but the club still treasure those glorious moments. Equally, major changes have occurred in the five weeks since the manager assumed control, with Forest looking refreshed and securing a comfortable win courtesy of goals from Arnaud Kalimuendo, Ryan Yates, and Nikola Milenkovic, boosting their prospects of progressing in the European competition.

Building Momentum with Another Straight Victory

For Nottingham Forest, this result – against a Malmö side that had not played for nearly a month after finishing sixth in their home competition – marked a third straight win across all competitions and further built on the positive energy gained from last weekend’s success at Liverpool. While this match was a re-run of Forest’s historic success in name, the game itself was free of any real jeopardy or nerves.

This was an event filled with sentiment, an longed-for meeting and the third clash between the teams since the European Cup final over four decades past.

Forest leaned into the history, honoring the legends of that era by giving them, along with their visiting opponents, the red-carpet treatment. Thirteen members of the Swedish club’s team from that time were also in attendance. Both teams shared a dinner together before the match. Forest legends and company were given a rousing reception when they gathered on the pitch 15 minutes before kick-off, and a typically impressive tifo was shown in the home stand.

Remembering History

“May 30, 1979, Robertson crossed it in from the left,” read half of a large tifo, in capital letters. While nobody required a reminder of what ensued, the remaining section was revealed as the squads came out from the dressing rooms. “And there’s Francis,” it continued. A second stunning tifo showed Brian Clough watching events beside his right-hand man Taylor on a bench at the Munich stadium.

Control from the Start

So, the hosts had soaked up those wonderful memories, but what about the performance on the night? It was impressive, too. They were in complete control from the moment the forward fired an attempt off target inside the opening moments and built a two-goal advantage by the break. Nicolás Domínguez sent an early header off target and then Zach Abbott, on his first European start, tried his luck.

It felt fitting that Ryan Yates, who came to Forest aged eight, made the initial breakthrough in the Malmö defense led by their own academy product captain, Pontus Jansson, previously of Leeds and Brentford. The Forest centre-back Milenkovic saw a cross cannon off a defender and into the path of the midfielder, who finished right-footed from just inside the box to score his maiden strike since last March.

Another Goal Confirms Control

Yates was involved in Forest’s second goal on the verge of the interval, too, his unmarked header saved by the shot-stopper Melker Ellborg but Kalimuendo on hand to convert the loose ball from point-blank range. McAtee, the playmaker handed a seldom start and just his second appearance since September, was the catalyst, chipping a delicious ball towards his teammate at the far post.

A minute earlier, Callum Hudson-Odoi low effort was deflected aside off Malmö defender Rösler, son of former Man City striker Uwe Rösler, and an unmarked Milenkovic had previously had a strong header instinctively saved by Ellborg, who returned in place of the ex- Aston Villa goalie Robin Olsen.

Opponent's Difficulties

This was Malmö’s initial game since the Swedish Allsvenskan ended on November 9th, and they found it hard to equal Forest’s intensity. Forest extended the lead to three when Milenkovic scored after his centre-back partner Murillo kept alive a set-piece. Yates had a volley stopped, but the Serbia defender Milenkovic feasted on the leftovers.

The home side then went for the jugular, with the winger dinking a right-foot shot on to the bar before Sangaré sent an ambitious shot wide from distance. It was one of those evenings. Dyche, mindful of Sunday’s league game here against Brighton & Hove Albion, made seven changes from the side that stunned Liverpool at Anfield recently, when they additionally scored three goals, though he introduced Elliot Anderson, Dan Ndoye and further fresh legs midway through the final period.

Smooth Evening for Forest

It turned out to be a flawless evening for Nottingham Forest. Dyche could withdraw the defender with the game already boxed off and later introduced teenage full-back Sinclair for his first-team debut. He discussed the club legends providing “valuable insights” at weekly get-togethers and, almost five decades on, the current crop demonstrated they are capable of a few nuggets of thrills, as well.