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“Champions of Europe, you’ll never sing that,” echoed through the City Ground as Forest fans celebrated a further result against Malmö. A great deal has transpired since Trevor Francis’s winning header clinched the European Cup back in 1979, but the club continue to hold dear those memories. Similarly, major shifts have occurred in the five weeks since Sean Dyche took charge, with the team looking refreshed and earning a comfortable win courtesy of goals from Kalimuendo, Yates, and Milenkovic, boosting their hopes of advancing in the European competition.

Gaining Momentum with Another Straight Victory

For Forest, this result – against a Malmö side that had not played for almost three weeks after ending in sixth place in their home competition – represented a third consecutive win across all competitions and added to the positive energy gained from last weekend’s stunning victory at Liverpool. While this fixture was a reminder of Forest’s European Cup success in name, the game itself was devoid of any significant jeopardy or jitters.

It proved to be an occasion filled with sentiment, an eagerly awaited reunion and the third clash between the teams since the European Cup final 46 years ago.

Forest fully embraced the heritage, paying tribute to the heroes of that era by giving them, along with their visiting counterparts, the red-carpet treatment. Thirteen members of the Malmö's team from then were additionally present. The two clubs enjoyed a dinner together prior to the match. Forest legends and their teammates were given a tumultuous reception when they assembled on the pitch a quarter of an hour before the start, and a characteristically superb tifo was unveiled in the Trent End.

Remembering the Past

“30th May 1979, John Robertson crossed it in from the left flank,” displayed one part of a giant banner, in capital letters. While no one required a reminder of what ensued, the rest was revealed as the players came out from the dressing rooms. “There is Francis,” it continued. A second stunning tifo showed Brian Clough watching proceedings beside his assistant Peter Taylor on a bench at the Munich stadium.

Dominance from the Start

So, the hosts had soaked up those wonderful memories, but what about the showing on the evening? It was strong, too. They were in complete control from the moment Kalimuendo whistled an effort wide inside the opening moments and established a 2-0 lead by the half-time interval. Nicolás Domínguez sent an early header wide and then Abbott, on his maiden European start, had a go.

It felt fitting that Yates, who joined the club as an eight-year-old, made the first dent in the visitors' defense led by their own homegrown captain, Jansson, previously of Leeds United and Brentford. The home defender Milenkovic saw a delivery deflect off a opponent and into the path of Yates, who swept home with his right foot from the edge of the box to score his maiden strike since last March.

Another Strike Seals Dominance

The scorer was implicated in the team's second goal on the verge of the interval, as well, his free header parried by Malmö’s shot-stopper Melker Ellborg but the alert forward poised to convert the rebound from point-blank range. McAtee, the midfielder given a rare start and just his second outing since September, was the catalyst, chipping a perfect ball towards his teammate at the far post.

Just moments before, Callum Hudson-Odoi low effort was deflected wide off Malmö back Colin Rösler, son of former Man City striker Uwe, and an free the defender also earlier had a strong header instinctively saved by the keeper, who returned in place of the ex- Aston Villa goalkeeper Olsen.

Malmö’s Difficulties

This was Malmö’s first match since the domestic league concluded on 9 November, and they struggled to equal the home team's energy. Forest made it 3-0 when the defender scored after his centre-back partner Murillo kept alive a set-piece. The captain had a volley stopped, but the Serbia centre-back Milenkovic pounced on the leftovers.

The home side then pushed for more, with Hudson-Odoi chipping a right-foot shot on to the bar before Ibrahim Sangaré sent an ambitious effort off target from distance. It was one of those nights. Dyche, aware of the upcoming domestic fixture here against Brighton & Hove Albion, implemented multiple alterations from the team that stunned Liverpool at Anfield recently, when they also netted three times, though he introduced substitutes and Igor Jesus during the second half.

Smooth Evening for Forest

It proved a hiccup-free evening for Forest. The coach could take off the defender with the game already boxed off and later brought on teenage full-back Jimmy Sinclair for his senior bow. Dyche talked about the club legends supplying “bits of gold” at regular meetings and, nearly fifty years on, the present squad showed they are capable of a few nuggets of excitement, as well.