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“You’ll never sing that, champions of Europe,” was chanted around the ground as Nottingham Forest supporters celebrated a further success against their Swedish opponents. A great deal has occurred since Francis's winning header clinched the European Cup in the year 1979, but Forest still cherish those memories. Similarly, major shifts have taken place in the weeks since Sean Dyche took charge, with the team looking refreshed and securing a comfortable win courtesy of goals from Arnaud Kalimuendo, Yates, and Milenkovic, boosting their prospects of progressing in the European competition.

Gaining Steam with Third Consecutive Victory

For Forest, this result – against a Malmö side that had not played for nearly a month after finishing sixth in their home competition – marked a third consecutive win across every tournament and added to the positive energy generated from the previous week's success at Liverpool. While this fixture was a re-run of Forest’s European Cup success in name, the encounter itself was devoid of any real jeopardy or nerves.

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

The home side leaned into the heritage, honoring the legends of that era by giving them, along with their visiting opponents, the red-carpet treatment. 13 members of the Swedish club’s squad from that time were also present. The two clubs shared a dinner together prior to the kick-off. Forest legends and their teammates received a tumultuous reception when they gathered on the pitch a quarter of an hour before kick-off, and a characteristically superb display was unveiled in the Trent End.

Remembering the Past

“30th May 1979, Robertson crossed it in from the left flank,” read half of a giant tifo, in block capitals. While nobody required a reminder of what happened next, the remaining section was unfurled as the squads emerged from the tunnel. “There is Francis,” it continued. A second brilliant display showed Brian Clough observing proceedings beside his assistant Taylor on a dugout at the Munich stadium.

Control from the Start

So, Forest had drunk in those beautiful recollections, but what about the showing on the evening? It was impressive, too. They were in complete control from the moment the forward whistled an effort off target inside two minutes and built a 2-0 lead by the half-time interval. Domínguez sent an early header off target and then Zach Abbott, on his first European start, had a go.

It seemed appropriate that Ryan Yates, who came to Forest aged eight, made the first dent in the Malmö defense led by their own homegrown skipper, Pontus Jansson, previously of Leeds and Brentford. The home centre-back Nikola Milenkovic saw a delivery deflect off a defender and into the path of the midfielder, who swept home right-footed from just inside the box to score his maiden strike since March.

Another Strike Confirms Control

Yates was implicated in the team's next goal on the verge of the interval, too, his free header parried by the goalkeeper Melker Ellborg but Kalimuendo poised to tap in the loose ball from close range. James McAtee, the playmaker handed a rare start and just his second outing since the autumn, was the catalyst, lofting a delicious ball towards his teammate at the back post.

A minute earlier, Callum Hudson-Odoi driven shot was deflected wide off the defender Rösler, the son of ex- Man City forward Uwe, and an free the defender also previously had a strong header smartly repelled by the keeper, who returned in place of the ex- Villa goalie Robin Olsen.

Opponent's Struggles

This was the Swedish side's first match since the domestic league ended on November 9th, and they struggled to match Forest’s intensity. The Reds extended the lead to three when Milenkovic scored after his centre-back partner Murillo headed back a corner. Yates had a shot blocked, but the Serbian defender Milenkovic feasted on the leftovers.

The home side then went for the jugular, with the winger chipping a effort on to the bar before Ibrahim Sangaré sent an ambitious effort off target from distance. It was one of those nights. The manager, mindful of Sunday’s domestic fixture here against Brighton, made seven changes from the team that surprised Liverpool at Anfield last weekend, when they also scored three goals, though he called on Elliot Anderson, Dan Ndoye and Igor Jesus during the final period.

Hiccup-Free Night for Forest

It proved a hiccup-free night for Nottingham Forest. Dyche could withdraw Murillo with the match long since sewn up and subsequently brought on teenage full-back Sinclair for his first-team debut. He talked about the club legends supplying “bits of gold” at regular meetings and, almost five decades on, the current crop showed they are capable of producing of thrills, too.