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“You’ll never sing that, champions of Europe,” echoed through the City Ground as Nottingham Forest fans reveled in another win against their Swedish opponents. A great deal has happened since Trevor Francis’s decisive header secured the continental trophy in the year 1979, but the club still cherish those memories. Similarly, major changes have occurred in the weeks since Sean Dyche took charge, with the team looking reinvigorated and securing a comfortable win courtesy of goals from Arnaud Kalimuendo, Ryan Yates, and Nikola Milenkovic, enhancing their hopes of progressing in the Europa League.

Gaining Steam with Another Consecutive Win

For Forest, this performance – against a Malmö side that had not played for almost three weeks after finishing sixth in their domestic league – marked a third straight win across all competitions and further built on the positive energy gained from last weekend’s success at Liverpool. While this fixture was a re-run of Forest’s European Cup success in name, the encounter itself was devoid of any significant tension or nerves.

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

The home side fully embraced the heritage, paying tribute to the heroes of that era by giving them, along with their visiting counterparts, the VIP welcome. Thirteen members of the Swedish club’s squad from then were additionally present. Both teams enjoyed a dinner together before the match. Forest legends and their teammates were given a rousing reception when they gathered on the field 15 minutes before kick-off, and a characteristically superb display was shown in the Trent End.

Remembering the Past

“30th May 1979, John Robertson delivered the ball from the left,” displayed one part of a giant banner, in capital letters. While nobody required a reminder of what happened next, the remaining section was revealed as the players emerged from the tunnel. “And there’s Francis,” it stated. A second stunning tifo showed Clough watching events beside his right-hand man Taylor on a bench at the Munich stadium.

Control from the Start

So, the hosts had soaked up those wonderful memories, but what about the showing on the night? It was pretty good, too. They were in full command from the moment the forward whistled an effort wide inside the opening moments and established a two-goal lead by the break. Nicolás Domínguez sent an early header off target and then Abbott, on his maiden European start, tried his luck.

It seemed appropriate that Yates, who came to Forest as an eight-year-old, made the initial breakthrough in the Malmö defence led by their own academy product skipper, Jansson, previously of Leeds United and Brentford. The Forest centre-back Milenkovic saw a delivery deflect off a defender and into the pathway of Yates, who swept home right-footed from just inside the penalty area to register his first goal since last March.

Second Goal Seals Control

Yates was implicated in the team's second goal on the brink of the interval, too, his unmarked header saved by the goalkeeper Ellborg but Kalimuendo poised to convert the rebound from point-blank range. McAtee, the playmaker handed a seldom start and only his second outing since September, was the spark, chipping a delicious ball towards Yates at the far post.

Just moments before, Callum Hudson-Odoi low effort was turned aside off Malmö defender Rösler, son of former Man City forward Uwe Rösler, and an free Milenkovic also previously had a strong header smartly repelled by the keeper, who returned in place of the ex- Villa goalkeeper Robin Olsen.

Malmö’s Struggles

This was Malmö’s first match since the Swedish Allsvenskan ended on 9 November, and they struggled to equal the home team's energy. Forest extended the lead to three when the defender scored after his defensive colleague Murillo kept alive a corner. Yates had a volley blocked, but the Serbia defender Milenkovic pounced on the rebound.

Forest then went for the jugular, with Hudson-Odoi dinking a right-foot shot on to the crossbar before Ibrahim Sangaré sent an optimistic effort off target from 30 yards. It was one of those nights. Dyche, aware of the upcoming league game here against Brighton, implemented multiple alterations from the side that stunned Liverpool at their ground last weekend, when they additionally netted three times, though he called on Elliot Anderson, Dan Ndoye and Igor Jesus during the final period.

Smooth Night for the Team

It proved a hiccup-free evening for Nottingham Forest. The coach could take off Murillo with the match already boxed off and later introduced 19-year-old full-back Sinclair for his first-team debut. He talked about the club legends providing “bits of gold” at regular meetings and, nearly fifty years on, the present squad demonstrated they are able of producing of thrills, as well.