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“Champions of Europe, you’ll never sing that,” echoed through the ground as Forest supporters celebrated another success against Malmö. A great deal has transpired since Francis's winning header clinched the continental trophy in 1979, but the club continue to hold dear those glorious moments. Equally, major shifts have occurred in the five weeks since Sean Dyche took charge, with Forest looking reinvigorated and earning a comfortable victory courtesy of goals from Kalimuendo, Ryan Yates, and Milenkovic, enhancing their prospects of advancing in the Europa League.

Building Momentum with Third Consecutive Win

For Forest, this result – against a Swedish side that had been inactive for almost three weeks after ending in sixth place in their domestic league – represented a third straight win across every tournament and further built on the momentum gained from the previous week's success at Anfield. While this match was a re-run of Forest’s historic success in name, the encounter itself was free of any real tension or nerves.

It proved to be an occasion filled with nostalgia, an eagerly awaited reunion and the third meeting between the teams since the European Cup final 46 years ago.

Forest leaned into the heritage, paying tribute to the heroes of 1979 by giving them, along with their visiting opponents, the red-carpet treatment. Thirteen members of the Swedish club’s squad from that time were additionally in attendance. Both teams shared a dinner together prior to the kick-off. Frank Clark, Colin Barrett and company received a rousing welcome when they assembled on the field 15 minutes before the start, and a typically superb tifo was unveiled in the Trent End.

Remembering History

“30th May 1979, John Robertson delivered the ball from the left,” read one part of a large tifo, in capital letters. While no one required a reminder of what happened next, the rest was revealed as the players came out from the tunnel. “And there’s Francis,” it continued. Another brilliant display depicted Clough observing proceedings beside his right-hand man Peter Taylor on a bench at the Olympiastadion.

Dominance from the Start

So, Forest had drunk in those beautiful recollections, but what about the performance on the evening? It was impressive, as well. They were in complete control from the moment Kalimuendo fired an attempt wide inside the opening moments and established a 2-0 advantage by the break. Domínguez sent an early header off target and then Zach Abbott, on his first European start, tried his luck.

It seemed appropriate that Ryan Yates, who came to the club aged eight, made the first dent in the visitors' defense captained by their own academy product captain, Pontus Jansson, formerly of Leeds and Brentford. The Forest centre-back Milenkovic saw a delivery cannon off a defender and into the path of the midfielder, who finished right-footed from just inside the box to register his first goal since March.

Another Strike Seals Control

Yates was implicated in the team's next goal on the brink of the interval, as well, his free header saved by Malmö’s goalkeeper Melker Ellborg but Kalimuendo poised to tap in the rebound from point-blank range. McAtee, the midfielder given a seldom start and just his second outing since the autumn, was the catalyst, chipping a delicious ball towards his teammate at the far post.

A minute earlier, Callum Hudson-Odoi driven shot was deflected wide off the defender Rösler, the son of former Man City striker Uwe, and an free Milenkovic also earlier had a strong header smartly saved by Ellborg, who was back in place of the ex- Villa goalie Robin Olsen.

Opponent's Struggles

This was the Swedish side's initial game since the domestic league concluded on November 9th, and they struggled to match the home team's energy. The Reds made it 3-0 when Milenkovic applied the finishing touch after his centre-back partner Murillo kept alive a set-piece. Yates had a volley stopped, but the Serbia defender Milenkovic feasted on the leftovers.

The home side then pushed for more, with Hudson-Odoi chipping a right-foot shot on to the crossbar before Sangaré sent an ambitious effort off target from 30 yards. It was one of those nights. Dyche, mindful of the upcoming domestic fixture here against Brighton & Hove Albion, implemented multiple alterations from the team that surprised Liverpool at their ground recently, when they also scored three times, though he called on Elliot Anderson, Dan Ndoye and further fresh legs during the second half.

Hiccup-Free Evening for Forest

It turned out to be a flawless night for Nottingham Forest. Dyche could withdraw Murillo with the game already sewn up and later brought on teenage full-back Jimmy Sinclair for his first-team debut. Dyche talked about the club legends providing “valuable insights” at regular meetings and, nearly fifty years on, the current crop showed they are capable of a few nuggets of excitement, as well.