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“You’ll never sing that, champions of Europe,” was chanted through the City Ground as Nottingham Forest followers celebrated a further result against their Swedish opponents. Much has occurred since Francis's decisive header secured the continental trophy back in 1979, but the club continue to hold dear those memories. Equally, significant changes have taken place in the weeks since Sean Dyche took charge, with the team appearing reinvigorated and securing a convincing victory courtesy of goals from Arnaud Kalimuendo, Yates, and Milenkovic, boosting their hopes of advancing in the European competition.

Building Momentum with Third Straight Victory

For Nottingham Forest, this performance – against a Malmö side that had not played for nearly a month after finishing sixth in their domestic league – marked a third straight triumph across every tournament and further built on the positive energy generated from last weekend’s stunning victory at Anfield. While this match was a re-run of the club's European Cup success in name, the game itself was devoid of any significant tension or jitters.

This was an event filled with sentiment, an longed-for meeting and the third clash between the sides since the European Cup final 46 years ago.

The home side leaned into the heritage, honoring the heroes of that era by giving them, along with their Malmö counterparts, the red-carpet treatment. 13 members of the Malmö's team from that time were also present. Both teams enjoyed a dinner together prior to the match. Forest legends and their teammates were given a rousing welcome when they gathered on the pitch a quarter of an hour before the start, and a characteristically impressive tifo was shown in the Trent End.

Remembering the Past

“May 30, 1979, John Robertson crossed it in from the left,” displayed half of a large banner, in block capitals. While nobody required a reminder of what happened next, the remaining section was revealed as the players came out from the tunnel. “And there’s Francis,” it continued. Another brilliant tifo depicted Clough observing proceedings beside his assistant Peter Taylor on a dugout at the Munich stadium.

Control from the Start

So, the hosts had drunk in those wonderful memories, but what about the performance on the evening? It was pretty good, too. They were in complete control from the moment Kalimuendo whistled an attempt off target inside two minutes and built a 2-0 advantage by the half-time interval. Nicolás Domínguez sent an early header off target and then Abbott, on his maiden European start, had a go.

It seemed appropriate that Ryan Yates, who came to Forest as an eight-year-old, made the first dent in the visitors' defense led by their own academy product captain, Pontus Jansson, previously of Leeds and Brentford. The home centre-back Milenkovic saw a cross deflect off a opponent and into the path of the midfielder, who swept home right-footed from the edge of the box to score his maiden strike since last March.

Another Goal Confirms Control

Yates was implicated in Forest’s next goal on the verge of the interval, as well, his free header saved by Malmö’s goalkeeper Ellborg but the alert forward on hand to convert the rebound from point-blank range. James McAtee, the midfielder given a rare start and only his second outing since the autumn, was the catalyst, chipping a delicious ball towards Yates at the back post.

A minute earlier, Hudson-Odoi’s low effort was turned aside off the defender Rösler, the son of ex- Manchester City striker Uwe, and an unmarked Milenkovic had earlier had a strong header smartly saved by the keeper, who returned in place of the ex- Aston Villa goalie Robin Olsen.

Malmö’s Difficulties

This was Malmö’s initial game since the domestic league ended on November 9th, and they found it hard to equal the home team's intensity. Forest made it 3-0 when Milenkovic applied the finishing touch after his defensive colleague Murillo kept alive a set-piece. Yates had a shot stopped, but the Serbia centre-back Milenkovic pounced on the rebound.

Forest then went for the jugular, with the winger chipping a right-foot shot on to the crossbar before Ibrahim Sangaré sent an ambitious shot wide from 30 yards. It was that kind of nights. Dyche, aware of the upcoming domestic fixture here against Brighton, implemented multiple alterations from the team that surprised the Reds at their ground last weekend, when they also netted three goals, though he called on substitutes and further fresh legs midway through the second half.

Smooth Night for the Team

It turned out to be a flawless night for Forest. The coach could take off Murillo with the match already boxed off and subsequently introduced 19-year-old defender Jimmy Sinclair for his senior bow. Dyche talked about the club legends supplying “bits of gold” at regular meetings and, almost five decades on, the current crop showed they are capable of producing of thrills, too.