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“You’ll never sing that, champions of Europe,” echoed around the ground as Nottingham Forest supporters reveled in a further result against Malmö. Much has happened since Trevor Francis’s decisive header secured the European Cup in 1979, but Forest still hold dear those glorious moments. Similarly, major changes have occurred in the five weeks since the manager took charge, with Forest looking reinvigorated and earning a convincing win thanks to goals from Kalimuendo, Yates, and Milenkovic, boosting their hopes of progressing in the European competition.

Building Momentum with Third Straight Victory

For Nottingham Forest, this performance – against a Malmö side that had not played for almost three weeks after ending in sixth place in their domestic league – represented a third consecutive win across every tournament and added to the momentum generated from last weekend’s stunning victory at Anfield. While this match was a reminder of the club's European Cup success in spirit, the encounter itself was free of any real tension or jitters.

This was an occasion filled with nostalgia, an eagerly awaited reunion and the third clash between the teams since the showpiece event over four decades past.

The home side fully embraced the heritage, paying tribute to the legends of that era by giving them, along with their visiting counterparts, the VIP welcome. Thirteen members of the Malmö's squad from that time were additionally present. The two clubs shared a meal together prior to the kick-off. Forest legends and company were given a tumultuous reception when they assembled on the pitch a quarter of an hour before kick-off, and a characteristically impressive tifo was unveiled in the home stand.

Remembering History

“May 30, 1979, John Robertson crossed it in from the left flank,” displayed one part of a giant banner, in capital letters. While nobody required a reminder of what ensued, the rest was revealed as the players emerged from the tunnel. “There is Francis,” it continued. A second brilliant display showed Brian Clough observing events beside his right-hand man Taylor on a dugout at the Munich stadium.

Control from the Outset

So, Forest had soaked up those beautiful memories, but what about the showing on the evening? It was pretty good, as well. They were in full command from the moment Kalimuendo whistled an effort wide inside the opening moments and built a 2-0 advantage by the break. Nicolás Domínguez sent an early header wide and then Abbott, on his maiden European start, had a go.

It seemed appropriate that Yates, who joined the club as an eight-year-old, made the first dent in the visitors' defence led by their own homegrown captain, Pontus Jansson, previously of Leeds and Brentford FC. The Forest centre-back Milenkovic saw a delivery cannon off a defender and into the path of the midfielder, who swept home right-footed from just inside the box to register his first goal since March.

Another Goal Confirms Dominance

The scorer was involved in Forest’s next goal on the brink of the interval, too, his unmarked header parried by the shot-stopper Ellborg but Kalimuendo on hand to convert the rebound from close range. James McAtee, the playmaker handed a seldom start and only his second outing since the autumn, was the catalyst, lofting a delicious ball towards Yates at the back post.

A minute earlier, Callum Hudson-Odoi low effort was deflected aside off the defender Colin Rösler, son of former Manchester City forward Uwe Rösler, and an unmarked Milenkovic had earlier had a powerful header instinctively repelled by Ellborg, who returned in place of the ex- Aston Villa goalie Olsen.

Malmö’s Struggles

This was the Swedish side's initial game since the domestic league ended on 9 November, and they found it hard to equal the home team's energy. Forest made it 3-0 when Milenkovic applied the finishing touch after his defensive colleague Murillo kept alive a corner. The captain had a volley blocked, but the Serbia centre-back Milenkovic pounced on the leftovers.

The home side then went for the jugular, with Hudson-Odoi dinking a effort on to the crossbar before Sangaré sent an ambitious effort off target from 30 yards. It was that kind of evenings. The manager, mindful of Sunday’s league game here against Brighton, implemented multiple alterations from the team that surprised Liverpool at their ground recently, when they also scored three goals, though he called on Elliot Anderson, Dan Ndoye and Igor Jesus midway through the second half.

Smooth Night for Forest

It proved a hiccup-free evening for Nottingham Forest. Dyche could take off the defender with the match already boxed off and subsequently brought on teenage full-back Jimmy Sinclair for his first-team debut. Dyche talked about the Forest old guard providing “valuable insights” at regular meetings and, nearly fifty years on, the present squad demonstrated they are capable of a few nuggets of excitement, too.