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“Champions of Europe, you’ll never sing that,” echoed through the City Ground as Nottingham Forest supporters reveled in another win against their Swedish opponents. Much has transpired since Francis's decisive header clinched the continental trophy in the year 1979, but the club still treasure those glorious moments. Similarly, significant changes have taken place in the weeks since the manager took charge, with Forest appearing refreshed and earning a convincing win courtesy of goals from Kalimuendo, Ryan Yates, and Nikola Milenkovic, enhancing their prospects of advancing in the Europa League.

Building Steam with Third Consecutive Victory

For Nottingham Forest, this performance – against a Swedish side that had not played for almost three weeks after ending sixth in their domestic league – marked a third consecutive win across every tournament and further built on the momentum gained 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 free of any real tension or nerves.

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

The home side leaned into the history, paying tribute to the legends of 1979 by providing them, along with their Malmö opponents, the VIP welcome. Thirteen members of the Swedish club’s squad from that time were also in attendance. Both teams shared a dinner together before the kick-off. Frank Clark, Colin Barrett and company were given a rousing reception when they gathered on the field 15 minutes before kick-off, and a typically impressive display was unveiled in the Trent End.

Remembering the Past

“May 30, 1979, John Robertson delivered the ball from the left flank,” displayed half of a giant banner, in block capitals. While nobody required a reminder of what ensued, the rest was revealed as the squads came out from the tunnel. “There is Francis,” it continued. Another brilliant display depicted Clough observing proceedings beside his assistant Peter Taylor on a dugout at the Munich stadium.

Dominance from the Start

So, the hosts had drunk in those beautiful memories, but what about the performance on the evening? It was pretty good, as well. They were in complete control from the moment the forward fired an effort wide inside the opening moments and built a two-goal lead by the break. Domínguez sent an early header wide and then Abbott, on his first European start, tried his luck.

It felt fitting that Yates, who joined the club aged eight, made the initial breakthrough in the visitors' defence led by their own homegrown skipper, Jansson, formerly of Leeds and Brentford FC. The home defender Milenkovic saw a cross cannon off a defender and into the path of the midfielder, who swept home right-footed from the edge of the box to register his maiden strike since last March.

Second Goal Confirms Control

Yates was involved in Forest’s next goal on the brink of the interval, too, his free header saved by Malmö’s shot-stopper Melker Ellborg but the alert forward on hand to convert the loose ball from close range. James McAtee, the midfielder given a rare start and only his second outing since September, was the spark, chipping a delicious ball towards his teammate at the far post.

Just moments before, Callum Hudson-Odoi low effort was deflected aside off Malmö back Rösler, the son of former Man City striker Uwe Rösler, and an unmarked the defender had earlier had a powerful header instinctively repelled by the keeper, who returned in place of the former Aston Villa goalie Olsen.

Malmö’s Difficulties

This was Malmö’s first match since the Swedish Allsvenskan concluded on 9 November, and they found it hard to match Forest’s intensity. Forest made it 3-0 when the defender scored 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 Hudson-Odoi 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 league game here against Brighton & Hove Albion, implemented seven changes from the team that stunned Liverpool at Anfield last weekend, when they additionally netted three times, though he introduced substitutes and Igor Jesus midway through the final period.

Smooth Evening for Forest

It proved a flawless evening for Forest. Dyche could take off the defender with the game already sewn up and subsequently brought on teenage full-back Sinclair for his first-team debut. He talked about the Forest old guard providing “valuable insights” at regular meetings and, almost five decades on, the current crop showed they are capable of a few nuggets of excitement, too.