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“Champions of Europe, you’ll never sing that,” was chanted through the stadium as Nottingham Forest supporters celebrated another win against their Swedish opponents. Much has happened since Francis's decisive header clinched the European Cup in the year 1979, but Forest still cherish those memories. Similarly, major shifts have taken place in the five weeks since Sean Dyche took charge, with the team appearing reinvigorated and earning a convincing victory thanks to goals from Arnaud Kalimuendo, Ryan Yates, and Nikola Milenkovic, enhancing their prospects of advancing in the Europa League.

Building Momentum with Another Consecutive Victory

For Forest, this performance – against a Malmö side that had been inactive for nearly a month after ending in sixth place in their home competition – marked a third straight triumph across every tournament and further built on the momentum gained from the previous week's stunning victory at Anfield. While this match was a re-run of Forest’s European Cup success in spirit, the game itself was free of any real tension or nerves.

It proved to be an event filled with nostalgia, an longed-for meeting and the third competitive meeting between the teams since the showpiece event 46 years ago.

The home side fully embraced the history, honoring the heroes of that era by giving them, along with their visiting opponents, the red-carpet treatment. 13 members of the Malmö's team from then were also present. The two clubs shared a dinner together prior to the match. Forest legends and their teammates were given a tumultuous welcome when they assembled on the field a quarter of an hour before kick-off, and a characteristically impressive display was shown in the home stand.

Remembering History

“30th May 1979, Robertson delivered the ball from the left flank,” displayed one part of a giant tifo, in block capitals. While nobody required a reminder of what happened next, the rest was unfurled as the squads came out from the tunnel. “There is Francis,” it stated. A second brilliant tifo showed Clough observing proceedings beside his right-hand man Peter Taylor on a dugout at the Olympiastadion.

Control from the Outset

So, the hosts had drunk in those wonderful recollections, but what about the showing on the evening? It was pretty good, as well. They were in full command from the moment the forward fired an effort off target inside the opening moments and established a two-goal advantage by the break. Nicolás Domínguez sent an early header wide and then Zach Abbott, on his first European start, had a go.

It felt fitting that Ryan Yates, who joined Forest aged eight, made the initial breakthrough in the Malmö defense led by their own homegrown skipper, Jansson, previously of Leeds United and Brentford FC. The Forest defender Milenkovic saw a cross cannon off a defender and into the pathway of the midfielder, who finished with his right foot from the edge of the penalty area to score his first goal since March.

Second Strike Seals Control

Yates was involved in Forest’s next goal on the brink of the interval, as well, his free header parried by the shot-stopper Ellborg but the alert forward poised to convert the loose ball from close range. James McAtee, the midfielder handed a seldom start and just his second outing since the autumn, was the spark, lofting a perfect ball towards his teammate at the far post.

A minute earlier, Hudson-Odoi’s driven shot was deflected aside off the defender Colin Rösler, son of former Man City striker Uwe, and an free Milenkovic had previously had a strong header instinctively repelled by Ellborg, who returned in place of the former Aston Villa goalkeeper Olsen.

Opponent's Struggles

This was the Swedish side's initial game since the Swedish Allsvenskan ended on 9 November, and they found it hard to match Forest’s energy. The Reds extended the lead to three when the defender applied the finishing touch after his defensive colleague Murillo kept alive a corner. The captain had a volley blocked, but the Serbian defender Milenkovic pounced on the rebound.

Forest then went for the jugular, with Hudson-Odoi chipping a effort on to the bar before Sangaré sent an ambitious effort wide from distance. It was one of those evenings. The manager, mindful of Sunday’s domestic fixture here against Brighton, implemented multiple alterations from the side that stunned the Reds at their ground recently, when they also scored three times, though he introduced Elliot Anderson, Dan Ndoye and Igor Jesus during the second half.

Smooth Evening for the Team

It turned out to be a hiccup-free evening for Forest. Dyche could withdraw Murillo with the match long since boxed off and later introduced teenage full-back Sinclair for his senior bow. He discussed the club legends providing “bits of gold” at regular meetings and, almost five decades on, the current crop demonstrated they are able of producing of excitement, too.