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“Champions of Europe, you’ll never sing that,” echoed around the ground as Forest fans celebrated a further result against their Swedish opponents. Much has transpired since Trevor Francis’s decisive header clinched the European Cup back in 1979, but Forest still hold dear those memories. Equally, significant shifts have taken place in the weeks since Sean Dyche took charge, with Forest appearing reinvigorated and earning a comfortable win thanks to goals from Kalimuendo, Ryan Yates, and Nikola Milenkovic, boosting their hopes of progressing in the Europa League.

Building Steam with Another Consecutive Victory

For Forest, this result – against a Malmö side that had been inactive for almost three weeks after ending in sixth place in their domestic league – marked a third consecutive triumph across every tournament and added to the positive energy gained from the previous week's success at Anfield. While this fixture was a reminder of the club's historic triumph in name, the game itself was devoid of any real tension or nerves.

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

Forest fully embraced the heritage, paying tribute to the legends of that era by giving them, along with their Malmö opponents, the red-carpet treatment. Thirteen members of the Swedish club’s team from then were also in attendance. Both teams shared a meal together prior to the kick-off. Frank Clark, Colin Barrett and their teammates were given a rousing reception when they assembled on the pitch a quarter of an hour before the start, and a characteristically superb tifo was unveiled in the home stand.

Recalling the Past

“May 30, 1979, John Robertson delivered the ball from the left,” displayed half of a giant tifo, in block capitals. While no one required a reminder of what happened next, the remaining section was revealed as the squads came out from the dressing rooms. “And there’s Francis,” it continued. A second stunning tifo depicted Brian Clough watching events beside his right-hand man Taylor on a bench at the Olympiastadion.

Dominance from the Outset

So, the hosts had drunk in those beautiful recollections, but what about the showing on the night? It was pretty good, too. They were in full command from the moment Kalimuendo whistled an effort wide inside two minutes and established a two-goal advantage by the half-time interval. Domínguez sent an early header wide and then Zach Abbott, on his maiden European start, had a go.

It felt fitting that Yates, who joined Forest as an eight-year-old, made the initial breakthrough in the Malmö defense led by their own academy product captain, Pontus Jansson, formerly of Leeds and Brentford. The home centre-back Milenkovic saw a delivery cannon off a defender and into the path of Yates, who finished right-footed from just inside the box to score his first goal since last March.

Second Strike Confirms Dominance

The scorer was involved in Forest’s next goal on the verge of the interval, as well, his free header saved by the goalkeeper Melker Ellborg but the alert forward poised to tap in the rebound from point-blank range. McAtee, the midfielder handed a seldom start and just his second outing since the autumn, was the spark, chipping a delicious ball towards Yates at the back post.

Just moments before, Hudson-Odoi’s driven shot was deflected aside off the back Colin Rösler, son of ex- Manchester City striker Uwe, and an unmarked the defender had previously had a powerful header instinctively repelled by Ellborg, who was back in place of the ex- Villa goalie Robin Olsen.

Malmö’s Difficulties

This was the Swedish side's initial game since the Swedish Allsvenskan ended on 9 November, and they found it hard to match the home team's intensity. The Reds extended the lead to three when Milenkovic scored after his centre-back partner Murillo headed back a set-piece. The captain had a volley stopped, but the Serbia centre-back Milenkovic feasted on the leftovers.

The home side then pushed for more, with the winger chipping a effort on to the bar before Ibrahim Sangaré sent an ambitious effort wide from 30 yards. It was that kind of nights. Dyche, aware of Sunday’s domestic fixture here against Brighton & Hove Albion, made seven changes from the side that surprised Liverpool at Anfield last weekend, when they additionally netted three times, though he called on substitutes and further fresh legs midway through the second half.

Hiccup-Free Night for Forest

It proved a hiccup-free evening for Nottingham Forest. The coach could take off the defender with the game already boxed off and later introduced teenage defender Jimmy Sinclair for his first-team debut. Dyche talked about the Forest old guard supplying “bits of gold” at regular meetings and, nearly fifty years on, the current crop demonstrated they are capable of producing of thrills, as well.