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“Champions of Europe, you’ll never sing that,” echoed through the ground as Forest followers reveled in another success against Malmö. A great deal has happened since Trevor Francis’s winning header clinched the European Cup in 1979, but Forest still cherish those memories. Equally, major changes have taken place in the five weeks since Sean Dyche took charge, with Forest appearing reinvigorated and securing a convincing win courtesy of goals from Kalimuendo, Ryan Yates, and Nikola Milenkovic, boosting their hopes of advancing in the Europa League.

Building Steam with Third Consecutive Win

For Nottingham Forest, this performance – against a Swedish side that had not played for nearly a month after finishing sixth in their domestic league – marked a third consecutive win across all competitions and added to the momentum generated from the previous week's stunning victory at Liverpool. While this fixture was a reminder of Forest’s historic triumph in name, the game itself was free of any significant tension or nerves.

It proved to be an occasion filled with sentiment, an eagerly awaited meeting and the third competitive meeting between the sides since the showpiece event over four decades past.

Forest leaned into the heritage, paying tribute to the legends of 1979 by providing them, along with their visiting counterparts, the red-carpet treatment. Thirteen members of the Swedish club’s squad from then were additionally present. Both teams shared a meal together prior to the kick-off. Forest legends and company received a rousing welcome when they assembled on the field a quarter of an hour before kick-off, and a characteristically superb display was unveiled in the Trent End.

Remembering the Past

“May 30, 1979, Robertson delivered the ball from the left,” read one part of a giant banner, in capital letters. While nobody needed reminding of what happened next, the remaining section was revealed as the squads came out from the tunnel. “There is Francis,” it stated. Another brilliant display showed Clough observing proceedings beside his right-hand man Taylor on a dugout at the Munich stadium.

Dominance from the Outset

So, Forest had soaked up those wonderful memories, but what about the showing on the evening? It was impressive, too. They were in full command from the moment Kalimuendo fired an attempt wide inside two minutes and built a two-goal lead by the break. Domínguez sent an early header off target and then Zach Abbott, on his first European start, had a go.

It seemed appropriate that Ryan Yates, who joined the club as an eight-year-old, made the first dent in the Malmö defense led by their own homegrown captain, Pontus Jansson, formerly of Leeds United and Brentford. The home defender Nikola Milenkovic saw a delivery cannon off a opponent and into the pathway of the midfielder, who swept home with his right foot from just inside the box to register his first goal since last March.

Another Goal Confirms Control

Yates was implicated in the team's next goal on the brink of the interval, too, his free header parried by Malmö’s goalkeeper Melker Ellborg but Kalimuendo poised to convert the loose ball from close range. McAtee, the playmaker handed a rare start and just his second outing since the autumn, was the spark, chipping a perfect ball towards his teammate at the back post.

Just moments before, Hudson-Odoi’s driven shot was deflected aside off Malmö defender Rösler, the son of former Manchester City forward Uwe Rösler, and an free the defender also previously had a strong header instinctively repelled by the keeper, who was back in place of the former Aston Villa goalie Olsen.

Opponent's Difficulties

This was the Swedish side's initial game since the Swedish Allsvenskan ended on November 9th, and they found it hard to equal the home team's energy. The Reds made it 3-0 when Milenkovic applied the finishing touch after his centre-back partner Murillo headed back a corner. Yates had a volley stopped, but the Serbia defender Milenkovic feasted on the rebound.

Forest then went for the jugular, with Hudson-Odoi chipping a effort on to the crossbar before Ibrahim Sangaré sent an optimistic shot off target from 30 yards. It was one of those evenings. The manager, aware of the upcoming league game here against Brighton, implemented multiple alterations from the side that stunned the Reds at Anfield recently, when they also netted three times, though he introduced Elliot Anderson, Dan Ndoye and Igor Jesus during the second half.

Smooth Night for the Team

It turned out to be a hiccup-free night for Forest. Dyche could take off Murillo with the match long since sewn up and subsequently brought on 19-year-old defender Sinclair for his first-team debut. Dyche discussed the Forest old guard supplying “bits of gold” at regular meetings and, almost five decades on, the present squad demonstrated they are able of a few nuggets of thrills, too.