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“You’ll never sing that, champions of Europe,” rang out through the City Ground as Nottingham Forest fans reveled in another success against their Swedish opponents. Much has happened since Francis's decisive header secured the European Cup in 1979, but the club still treasure those memories. Similarly, significant changes have occurred in the weeks since the manager took charge, with Forest appearing reinvigorated and earning a convincing victory thanks to goals from Kalimuendo, Ryan Yates, and Nikola Milenkovic, enhancing their hopes of advancing in the European competition.

Gaining Momentum with Third Straight Victory

For Forest, this result – against a Swedish side that had been inactive for almost three weeks after ending sixth in their domestic league – represented a third straight triumph across every tournament and added to the positive energy generated from the previous week's success at Liverpool. While this fixture was a reminder of Forest’s European Cup success in name, the encounter itself was free of any real tension or jitters.

It proved to be an occasion dripping in sentiment, an eagerly awaited reunion and the third meeting between the sides since the European Cup final over four decades past.

The home side fully embraced the history, paying tribute to the legends of 1979 by providing them, along with their visiting counterparts, the VIP welcome. 13 members of the Swedish club’s team from then were additionally in attendance. Both teams enjoyed a meal together before the match. Forest legends and company received a tumultuous welcome when they assembled on the pitch 15 minutes before kick-off, and a typically impressive display was shown in the home stand.

Remembering the Past

“30th May 1979, Robertson crossed it in from the left flank,” displayed one part of a giant banner, in capital letters. While nobody needed reminding of what happened next, the rest was revealed as the squads emerged from the dressing rooms. “There is Francis,” it continued. A second brilliant tifo showed Clough observing events beside his right-hand man Taylor on a bench at the Munich stadium.

Dominance from the Outset

So, Forest had soaked up those beautiful recollections, but what about the performance on the evening? It was pretty good, too. They were in full command from the moment the forward whistled an attempt off target inside two minutes and established a two-goal lead by the break. 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 the club aged eight, made the first dent in the Malmö defence captained by their own homegrown captain, Jansson, formerly of Leeds United and Brentford. The home centre-back Milenkovic saw a cross deflect off a opponent and into the path of the midfielder, who swept home right-footed from just inside the box to register his first goal since last March.

Second Strike Seals Control

Yates was implicated in the team's next goal on the verge of the interval, too, his unmarked header saved by the goalkeeper Melker Ellborg but Kalimuendo on hand to tap in the loose ball from point-blank range. McAtee, the playmaker handed a seldom start and just his second appearance since the autumn, was the spark, lofting a perfect ball towards his teammate at the far post.

A minute earlier, Callum Hudson-Odoi low effort was deflected wide off Malmö back Rösler, son of former Manchester City striker Uwe Rösler, and an unmarked Milenkovic also earlier had a powerful header smartly saved by the keeper, who was back in place of the former Aston Villa goalie Robin Olsen.

Malmö’s Difficulties

This was the Swedish side's first match since the domestic league ended on 9 November, and they struggled to equal Forest’s intensity. The Reds extended the lead to three when the defender scored after his centre-back partner Murillo kept alive a corner. The captain had a volley stopped, but the Serbia centre-back Milenkovic pounced on the leftovers.

The home side then pushed for more, with the winger chipping a effort on to the crossbar before Sangaré sent an ambitious shot off target from 30 yards. It was one of those evenings. The manager, aware of the upcoming domestic fixture here against Brighton & Hove Albion, made seven changes from the side that surprised Liverpool at their ground last weekend, when they additionally netted three goals, though he introduced substitutes and further fresh legs midway through the second half.

Smooth Night for the Team

It turned out to be a flawless evening for Forest. Dyche could take off the defender with the game long since sewn up and later introduced teenage defender Sinclair for his first-team debut. He talked about the Forest old guard supplying “valuable insights” at weekly get-togethers and, nearly fifty years on, the current crop showed they are able of a few nuggets of excitement, too.