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“Champions of Europe, you’ll never sing that,” rang out around the stadium as Forest fans reveled in another win against Malmö. Much has happened since Francis's winning header clinched the European Cup in 1979, but Forest still cherish those glorious moments. Similarly, major changes have taken place in the weeks since Sean Dyche assumed control, with the team appearing reinvigorated and securing a convincing victory thanks to goals from Kalimuendo, Yates, and Nikola Milenkovic, boosting their hopes of advancing in the European competition.

Building Steam with Third Consecutive Victory

For Nottingham Forest, this result – against a Swedish side that had not played for almost three weeks after finishing sixth in their home competition – represented a third straight win across all competitions 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 triumph in spirit, the encounter itself was devoid of any significant tension or nerves.

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

Forest leaned into the heritage, honoring the heroes of that era by providing them, along with their Malmö counterparts, the red-carpet treatment. Thirteen members of the Swedish club’s squad from then were also in attendance. Both teams shared a dinner together prior to the kick-off. Frank Clark, Colin Barrett and their teammates were given a tumultuous welcome when they assembled on the pitch a quarter of an hour before kick-off, and a typically superb display was shown in the Trent End.

Recalling the Past

“May 30, 1979, Robertson delivered the ball from the left flank,” displayed one part of a large tifo, in capital letters. While nobody required a reminder of what happened next, the rest was revealed as the squads emerged from the dressing rooms. “And there’s Francis,” it stated. A second stunning tifo showed Clough watching events beside his right-hand man Peter Taylor on a bench at the Munich stadium.

Dominance from the Outset

So, Forest had drunk in those wonderful memories, but what about the performance on the evening? It was strong, too. They were in complete control from the moment Kalimuendo fired an attempt wide inside two minutes and built a two-goal lead by the half-time interval. Nicolás Domínguez sent an early header off target and then Zach Abbott, on his first European start, had a go.

It seemed appropriate that Yates, who joined the club aged eight, made the first dent in the Malmö defence led by their own homegrown captain, Pontus Jansson, formerly of Leeds United and Brentford. The home defender Milenkovic saw a delivery deflect off a opponent and into the pathway of Yates, who swept home with his right foot from just inside the penalty area to score his first goal since last March.

Another Goal Seals Control

Yates was implicated in Forest’s next goal on the brink of the interval, too, his free header parried by Malmö’s shot-stopper Melker Ellborg but Kalimuendo poised to tap in the loose ball from close range. McAtee, the midfielder given a seldom start and just his second appearance since the autumn, was the spark, chipping a perfect ball towards Yates at the far post.

A minute earlier, Hudson-Odoi’s driven shot was turned wide off Malmö back Rösler, the son of ex- Manchester City striker Uwe, and an unmarked Milenkovic had earlier had a powerful header instinctively repelled by Ellborg, who was back in place of the former Villa goalkeeper Olsen.

Malmö’s Struggles

This was the Swedish side's first match since the domestic league ended on November 9th, and they struggled to match the home team's intensity. The Reds made it 3-0 when the defender applied the finishing touch after his defensive colleague Murillo headed back a set-piece. Yates had a volley blocked, but the Serbian centre-back Milenkovic feasted on the rebound.

The home side then went for the jugular, with Hudson-Odoi dinking a right-foot shot on to the bar before Ibrahim Sangaré sent an ambitious effort wide from distance. It was one of those nights. Dyche, mindful of the upcoming league game here against Brighton, made seven changes from the team that surprised Liverpool at their ground last weekend, when they also scored three times, though he introduced substitutes and Igor Jesus during the final period.

Smooth Night for Forest

It proved a flawless evening for Nottingham Forest. Dyche could withdraw Murillo with the game already boxed off and later brought on 19-year-old full-back Jimmy Sinclair for his first-team debut. He talked about the Forest old guard providing “valuable insights” at regular meetings and, almost five decades on, the current crop showed they are able of producing of thrills, as well.