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“Champions of Europe, you’ll never sing that,” was chanted through the ground as Nottingham Forest followers celebrated another win against Malmö. Much has transpired since Francis's winning header secured 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 appearing refreshed and earning a convincing win courtesy of goals from Arnaud Kalimuendo, Yates, and Nikola Milenkovic, boosting their prospects of progressing in the Europa League.

Gaining Momentum with Third Straight Win

For Forest, this performance – 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 all competitions and added to the momentum gained from last weekend’s success at Anfield. While this fixture was a re-run of the club's European Cup success in spirit, the encounter itself was devoid of any real tension or jitters.

This was an event dripping in nostalgia, an eagerly awaited reunion and the third clash between the teams since the European Cup final over four decades past.

Forest leaned into the heritage, honoring the heroes of 1979 by giving them, along with their visiting counterparts, the VIP welcome. Thirteen members of the Swedish club’s squad from then were additionally present. Both teams shared a dinner together prior to the match. Frank Clark, Colin Barrett and company received a rousing welcome when they assembled on the field 15 minutes before the start, and a typically superb tifo was unveiled in the Trent End.

Recalling History

“May 30, 1979, John Robertson delivered the ball from the left flank,” displayed half of a giant tifo, in block capitals. While nobody required a reminder of what ensued, the rest was unfurled as the squads emerged from the dressing rooms. “And there’s Francis,” it stated. A second brilliant tifo showed Clough watching proceedings beside his right-hand man Taylor on a dugout at the Munich stadium.

Control from the Start

So, Forest had soaked up those wonderful memories, but what about the performance on the night? It was impressive, as well. They were in complete control from the moment Kalimuendo fired an attempt wide inside two minutes and established a 2-0 advantage by the half-time interval. Domínguez sent an early header off target and then Abbott, on his maiden European start, had a go.

It felt fitting that Yates, who joined the club as an eight-year-old, made the initial breakthrough in the visitors' defence captained by their own academy product captain, Jansson, previously of Leeds and Brentford. The home defender Milenkovic saw a delivery deflect off a defender and into the path of the midfielder, who finished with his right foot from the edge of the box to register his first goal since March.

Second Goal Seals Dominance

Yates was involved in the team's next goal on the brink of the interval, as well, his free header saved by Malmö’s shot-stopper Ellborg but the alert forward on hand to convert the loose ball from point-blank range. McAtee, the playmaker given a rare start and just his second outing since September, was the catalyst, lofting a delicious ball towards Yates at the back post.

Just moments before, Callum Hudson-Odoi driven shot was deflected aside off Malmö back Colin Rösler, the son of former Manchester City forward Uwe Rösler, and an unmarked Milenkovic had previously had a powerful header instinctively saved by the keeper, who returned in place of the former Villa goalkeeper Olsen.

Malmö’s Difficulties

This was Malmö’s first match since the Swedish Allsvenskan ended on 9 November, and they struggled to equal the home team's energy. The Reds made it 3-0 when Milenkovic applied the finishing touch after his defensive colleague Murillo kept alive a corner. The captain had a volley stopped, but the Serbian 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 Ibrahim Sangaré sent an ambitious effort wide from 30 yards. It was one of those evenings. Dyche, mindful of Sunday’s league game here against Brighton, made seven changes from the team that surprised Liverpool at Anfield recently, when they also netted three times, though he called on substitutes and Igor Jesus midway through the final period.

Hiccup-Free Evening for Forest

It turned out to be a hiccup-free night for Forest. Dyche could withdraw the defender with the match long since boxed off and subsequently introduced teenage full-back Sinclair for his first-team debut. Dyche talked about the Forest old guard supplying “bits of gold” at regular meetings and, almost five decades on, the current crop showed they are capable of producing of excitement, too.