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“Champions of Europe, you’ll never sing that,” rang out through the ground as Nottingham Forest followers reveled in a further result against Malmö. A great deal has occurred since Francis's winning header secured the continental trophy back in the year 1979, but the club still treasure those glorious moments. Equally, significant changes have taken place in the five weeks since Sean Dyche took charge, with the team looking reinvigorated and securing a comfortable victory courtesy of goals from Kalimuendo, Yates, and Milenkovic, boosting their prospects of advancing in the European competition.

Gaining Steam with Third Consecutive Win

For Forest, this performance – against a Malmö side that had been inactive for nearly a month after ending in sixth place in their home competition – represented a third consecutive triumph across all competitions and further built on the momentum generated from the previous week's stunning victory at Anfield. While this fixture was a re-run of Forest’s historic triumph in spirit, the encounter itself was free of any significant tension or nerves.

This was an occasion filled with sentiment, an longed-for reunion and the third competitive meeting between the teams since the showpiece event over four decades past.

Forest fully embraced the history, paying tribute to the legends of that era by giving them, along with their visiting opponents, the red-carpet treatment. Thirteen members of the Malmö's team from then were additionally present. Both teams shared a dinner together prior to the kick-off. Frank Clark, Colin Barrett and their teammates received a rousing reception when they gathered on the pitch 15 minutes before the start, and a typically impressive display was shown in the home stand.

Remembering the Past

“30th May 1979, John Robertson crossed it in from the left,” read half of a large banner, in capital letters. While no one required a reminder of what happened next, the remaining section was revealed as the squads emerged from the dressing rooms. “And there’s Francis,” it continued. Another brilliant tifo showed Brian Clough watching events beside his right-hand man Peter Taylor on a dugout at the Munich stadium.

Dominance from the Start

So, Forest had drunk in those wonderful recollections, but what about the performance on the evening? It was strong, as well. They were in complete control from the moment Kalimuendo fired an effort off target 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 Yates, who joined the club as an eight-year-old, made the initial breakthrough in the Malmö defence captained by their own academy product captain, Jansson, previously of Leeds United and Brentford. The Forest centre-back Milenkovic saw a cross deflect off a opponent and into the path of the midfielder, who finished with his right foot from just inside the box to score his maiden strike since last March.

Second Strike Seals Dominance

The scorer was involved in the team's next goal on the brink of the interval, too, his free header saved by Malmö’s shot-stopper Ellborg but the alert forward on hand to convert the rebound from close range. McAtee, the midfielder given a seldom start and only his second outing since the autumn, was the catalyst, chipping a delicious ball towards Yates at the far post.

A minute earlier, Hudson-Odoi’s driven shot was turned aside off Malmö defender Colin Rösler, the son of former Man City striker Uwe Rösler, and an free Milenkovic had previously had a strong header instinctively saved by the keeper, who was back in place of the former Villa goalkeeper Robin Olsen.

Malmö’s Struggles

This was Malmö’s initial game since the Swedish Allsvenskan concluded on November 9th, and they found it hard to equal Forest’s intensity. The Reds extended the lead to three when Milenkovic applied the finishing touch after his defensive colleague Murillo headed back a corner. The captain had a volley stopped, but the Serbia defender Milenkovic pounced on the rebound.

Forest then pushed for more, with the winger chipping a effort on to the bar before Sangaré sent an optimistic effort wide from distance. It was that kind of evenings. Dyche, mindful of the upcoming domestic fixture here against Brighton, made multiple alterations from the side that stunned Liverpool at their ground last weekend, when they also netted three goals, though he called on substitutes and further fresh legs during the final period.

Smooth Evening for Forest

It turned out to be a flawless night for Nottingham Forest. Dyche could withdraw the defender with the match long since boxed off and subsequently brought on teenage full-back Jimmy Sinclair for his senior bow. Dyche discussed the club legends supplying “valuable insights” at regular meetings and, almost five decades on, the current crop demonstrated they are able of a few nuggets of thrills, too.