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“You’ll never sing that, champions of Europe,” rang out around the ground as Nottingham Forest fans reveled in a further win against their Swedish opponents. Much has occurred since Trevor Francis’s winning header clinched the continental trophy back in the year 1979, but the club continue to hold dear those memories. Equally, significant changes have taken place in the weeks since Sean Dyche assumed control, with Forest looking reinvigorated and securing a comfortable win courtesy of goals from Arnaud Kalimuendo, Yates, and Milenkovic, enhancing their prospects of advancing in the European competition.

Building Steam with Third Straight Victory

For Forest, this performance – against a Swedish side that had been inactive for almost three weeks after ending in sixth place in their home competition – represented a third consecutive triumph across every tournament and added to the positive energy generated from last weekend’s stunning victory at Liverpool. While this match was a re-run of the club's European Cup success in spirit, the encounter itself was free of any real jeopardy or nerves.

It proved to be an occasion dripping in nostalgia, an longed-for meeting and the third competitive clash between the teams since the European Cup final 46 years ago.

Forest leaned into the history, paying tribute to the heroes of 1979 by giving them, along with their Malmö counterparts, the red-carpet treatment. 13 members of the Swedish club’s squad from then were additionally in attendance. Both teams shared a meal together prior to the kick-off. Frank Clark, Colin Barrett and company were given a rousing welcome when they gathered on the pitch a quarter of an hour before kick-off, and a typically impressive tifo was shown in the home stand.

Recalling the Past

“May 30, 1979, John Robertson crossed it in from the left,” read one part of a large tifo, in capital letters. While no one needed reminding of what happened next, the rest was revealed as the players emerged from the dressing rooms. “And there’s Francis,” it continued. Another brilliant display depicted Clough observing proceedings beside his assistant Taylor on a dugout at the Munich stadium.

Control from the Outset

So, the hosts had soaked up those wonderful recollections, but what about the showing on the evening? It was pretty good, as well. They were in full command from the moment the forward fired an attempt off target inside the opening moments and built a 2-0 lead by the half-time interval. Nicolás Domínguez sent an early header wide and then Abbott, on his first European start, tried his luck.

It seemed appropriate that Yates, who joined Forest aged eight, made the initial breakthrough in the Malmö defense led by their own homegrown skipper, Pontus Jansson, previously of Leeds and Brentford. The home centre-back Nikola Milenkovic saw a delivery cannon off a defender and into the pathway of Yates, who swept home with his right foot from the edge of the penalty area to register his first goal since March.

Second Strike Confirms Control

Yates was involved in Forest’s second goal on the brink of half-time, too, his free header saved by the shot-stopper Melker Ellborg but Kalimuendo on hand to convert the rebound from point-blank range. James McAtee, the midfielder given a rare start and only his second outing since the autumn, was the catalyst, lofting a perfect ball towards Yates at the far post.

Just moments before, Hudson-Odoi’s low effort was turned wide off the back Rösler, the son of ex- Man City forward Uwe, and an free the defender also earlier had a strong header instinctively repelled by Ellborg, who returned in place of the former Villa goalie Robin Olsen.

Opponent's Difficulties

This was Malmö’s initial game since the domestic league ended on November 9th, and they found it hard to match Forest’s energy. The Reds made it 3-0 when the defender applied the finishing touch after his centre-back partner Murillo kept alive a corner. Yates had a shot blocked, but the Serbia centre-back Milenkovic feasted on the leftovers.

The home side then went for the jugular, with Hudson-Odoi chipping a right-foot shot on to the bar before Sangaré sent an ambitious effort wide from 30 yards. It was that kind of evenings. The manager, mindful of Sunday’s league game here against Brighton, made seven changes from the team that surprised Liverpool at their ground last weekend, when they also netted three times, though he introduced substitutes and further fresh legs during the second half.

Smooth Evening for the Team

It turned out to be a hiccup-free night for Forest. Dyche could take off the defender with the match long since sewn up and subsequently brought on 19-year-old defender Jimmy Sinclair for his senior bow. He discussed the Forest old guard providing “bits of gold” at regular meetings and, nearly fifty years on, the current crop showed they are able of a few nuggets of thrills, as well.