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“Champions of Europe, you’ll never sing that,” was chanted around the stadium as Forest followers reveled in a further result against Malmö. A great deal has transpired since Francis's winning header secured the European Cup in the year 1979, but Forest still cherish those memories. Similarly, significant changes have taken place in the five weeks since Sean Dyche took charge, with Forest looking reinvigorated and earning a comfortable victory courtesy of goals from Arnaud Kalimuendo, Yates, and Nikola Milenkovic, enhancing their prospects of advancing in the Europa League.

Gaining Steam with Another Consecutive Win

For Nottingham Forest, this result – against a Malmö side that had been inactive for nearly a month after ending sixth in their home competition – represented a third consecutive win across all competitions and added to the positive energy gained from last weekend’s stunning victory at Liverpool. While this match was a re-run of Forest’s European Cup triumph in spirit, the encounter itself was free of any real tension or nerves.

This was an occasion dripping in sentiment, an eagerly awaited reunion and the third clash between the teams since the showpiece event 46 years ago.

Forest fully embraced the history, paying tribute to the heroes of that era by providing them, along with their visiting counterparts, the VIP welcome. Thirteen members of the Malmö's squad from then were also present. Both teams shared a dinner together before the kick-off. Forest legends and company were given a rousing reception when they gathered on the field 15 minutes before the start, and a typically superb tifo was unveiled in the Trent End.

Remembering the Past

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

Dominance from the Outset

So, the hosts had drunk in those wonderful recollections, but what about the showing on the night? It was impressive, too. They were in complete control from the moment Kalimuendo fired an effort wide inside two minutes and built a two-goal lead by the half-time interval. Nicolás Domínguez sent an early header wide and then Zach Abbott, on his first European start, had a go.

It seemed appropriate that Ryan Yates, who came to Forest as an eight-year-old, made the initial breakthrough in the visitors' defense led by their own homegrown captain, Pontus Jansson, formerly of Leeds and Brentford. The Forest defender Nikola Milenkovic saw a delivery deflect off a defender and into the pathway of the midfielder, who swept home with his right foot from the edge of the box to register his first goal since last March.

Second Goal Confirms Control

Yates was involved in Forest’s second goal on the verge of the interval, too, his unmarked header saved by Malmö’s goalkeeper Melker Ellborg but the alert forward poised to convert the loose ball from point-blank range. McAtee, the midfielder handed a rare start and only his second appearance 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 back Rösler, the son of former Man City striker Uwe Rösler, and an unmarked Milenkovic had previously had a powerful header instinctively repelled by Ellborg, who returned in place of the former Aston Villa goalkeeper Olsen.

Malmö’s Struggles

This was the Swedish side's initial game since the domestic league concluded on November 9th, and they found it hard to equal Forest’s intensity. Forest made it 3-0 when Milenkovic scored after his centre-back partner Murillo kept alive a set-piece. The captain had a shot stopped, but the Serbian defender Milenkovic pounced on the rebound.

Forest then pushed for more, with the winger dinking a effort on to the bar before Sangaré sent an optimistic shot off target from 30 yards. It was one of those nights. Dyche, mindful of the upcoming domestic fixture here against Brighton, made seven changes from the side that stunned the Reds at their ground recently, when they also scored three times, though he introduced substitutes and further fresh legs during the final period.

Hiccup-Free Night for the Team

It proved a flawless evening for Nottingham Forest. Dyche could withdraw the defender with the match long since sewn up and later introduced 19-year-old defender Sinclair for his senior bow. Dyche talked about the club legends supplying “bits of gold” at regular meetings and, nearly fifty years on, the present squad showed they are able of producing of excitement, too.