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“You’ll never sing that, champions of Europe,” echoed through the stadium as Nottingham Forest fans celebrated another win against Malmö. A great deal has transpired since Trevor Francis’s winning header secured the European Cup back in 1979, but the club still hold dear those glorious moments. Equally, significant shifts have taken place in the five weeks since the manager assumed control, with the team looking reinvigorated and earning a comfortable victory courtesy of goals from Arnaud Kalimuendo, Yates, and Nikola Milenkovic, enhancing their hopes of progressing in the Europa League.

Building Momentum with Third Straight Win

For Forest, this result – against a Malmö side that had been inactive for nearly a month after finishing sixth in their home competition – represented a third straight triumph across all competitions and added to the positive energy gained from last weekend’s success at Anfield. While this match was a reminder of Forest’s European Cup success in spirit, the encounter itself was free of any significant tension or jitters.

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

Forest fully embraced the heritage, paying tribute to the legends of 1979 by providing them, along with their Malmö counterparts, the VIP welcome. 13 members of the Malmö's squad from that time were additionally in attendance. Both teams enjoyed a dinner together prior to the match. Frank Clark, Colin Barrett and company received a rousing reception when they assembled on the pitch 15 minutes before the start, and a typically superb display was unveiled in the Trent End.

Recalling the Past

“May 30, 1979, Robertson crossed it in from the left flank,” displayed half of a giant banner, in capital letters. While no one needed reminding of what ensued, the rest was unfurled as the players came out from the dressing rooms. “And there’s Francis,” it continued. A second brilliant tifo showed Clough observing proceedings beside his assistant Taylor on a bench at the Olympiastadion.

Control from the Outset

So, the hosts had soaked up those wonderful memories, but what about the showing on the night? It was strong, too. They were in complete control from the moment Kalimuendo fired an effort wide inside two minutes and built a 2-0 lead by the break. Nicolás Domínguez sent an early header wide and then Abbott, on his maiden European start, tried his luck.

It felt fitting that Ryan Yates, who joined Forest as an eight-year-old, made the first dent in the visitors' defence captained by their own homegrown skipper, Jansson, formerly of Leeds United and Brentford. The home centre-back Milenkovic saw a delivery deflect off a defender and into the path of the midfielder, who swept home right-footed from just inside the penalty area to register his maiden strike since last March.

Another Strike Seals Dominance

The scorer was involved in Forest’s next goal on the verge of the interval, as well, his unmarked header parried by the goalkeeper Melker Ellborg but the alert forward poised to tap in the rebound from close range. James McAtee, the playmaker given a rare start and just his second outing since September, was the catalyst, chipping a delicious ball towards his teammate at the back post.

Just moments before, Callum Hudson-Odoi low effort was deflected wide off the defender Colin Rösler, the son of former Manchester City forward Uwe Rösler, and an unmarked Milenkovic also earlier had a powerful header smartly saved by the keeper, who returned in place of the former Aston Villa goalkeeper Robin Olsen.

Malmö’s Difficulties

This was the Swedish side's initial game since the Swedish Allsvenskan concluded on 9 November, and they struggled to match the home team's intensity. The Reds extended the lead to three when the defender applied the finishing touch after his defensive colleague Murillo headed back a corner. The captain had a volley blocked, but the Serbia defender Milenkovic pounced on the leftovers.

Forest then pushed for more, with the winger chipping a right-foot shot on to the crossbar before Ibrahim Sangaré sent an optimistic effort off target from distance. It was one of those nights. Dyche, aware of Sunday’s domestic fixture here against Brighton, implemented multiple alterations from the side that stunned the Reds at Anfield last weekend, when they additionally scored three times, though he called on substitutes and Igor Jesus during the final period.

Smooth Evening for Forest

It turned out to be a hiccup-free evening for Nottingham Forest. The coach could withdraw the defender with the match already boxed off and later brought on 19-year-old defender Jimmy Sinclair for his senior bow. Dyche discussed the Forest old guard providing “bits of gold” at weekly get-togethers and, almost five decades on, the current crop demonstrated they are able of producing of excitement, too.