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“You’ll never sing that, champions of Europe,” echoed around the City Ground as Forest followers celebrated another result against their Swedish opponents. Much has happened since Trevor Francis’s winning header secured the European Cup back in the year 1979, but Forest still cherish those glorious moments. Similarly, major shifts have taken place in the five weeks since the manager took charge, with the team appearing reinvigorated and securing a convincing victory courtesy of goals from Kalimuendo, Yates, and Nikola Milenkovic, boosting their prospects of progressing in the Europa League.

Gaining Momentum with Another Straight Victory

For Forest, this result – against a Malmö side that had been inactive for almost three weeks after finishing sixth in their home competition – marked a third straight win across all competitions and added to the positive energy generated from the previous week's stunning victory at Anfield. While this match was a re-run of Forest’s historic triumph in spirit, the encounter itself was free of any real tension or nerves.

It proved to be an event dripping in nostalgia, an longed-for reunion and the third competitive meeting between the teams since the showpiece event over four decades past.

Forest leaned into the history, paying tribute to the legends of 1979 by giving them, along with their visiting counterparts, the red-carpet treatment. 13 members of the Swedish club’s squad from then were also present. Both teams shared a dinner together prior to the match. Frank Clark, Colin Barrett and their teammates received a tumultuous welcome when they assembled on the field a quarter of an hour before the start, and a characteristically impressive tifo 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 nobody needed reminding of what ensued, the rest was unfurled as the squads came out from the dressing rooms. “And there’s Francis,” it continued. A second brilliant tifo depicted Clough observing events beside his right-hand man Peter Taylor on a dugout at the Munich stadium.

Control from the Start

So, Forest had drunk in those beautiful recollections, but what about the showing on the night? It was impressive, as well. They were in full command from the moment the forward whistled an attempt wide inside the opening moments and built a 2-0 advantage by the break. Domínguez sent an early header off target and then Zach Abbott, on his first European start, tried his luck.

It felt fitting that Yates, who came to Forest aged eight, made the initial breakthrough in the visitors' defence captained by their own homegrown captain, Jansson, formerly of Leeds United and Brentford. The home defender Milenkovic saw a delivery cannon off a defender and into the pathway of the midfielder, who swept home right-footed from just inside the box to register his maiden strike since last March.

Second Goal Seals Dominance

Yates was involved in Forest’s second goal on the verge of half-time, too, his free header parried by the shot-stopper Melker Ellborg but Kalimuendo on hand to tap in the rebound from point-blank range. McAtee, the playmaker given a seldom start and just his second appearance since the autumn, was the spark, chipping a delicious ball towards his teammate at the far post.

A minute earlier, Callum Hudson-Odoi driven shot was turned wide off Malmö defender Colin Rösler, the son of former Man City forward Uwe, and an free the defender had earlier had a strong header instinctively saved by Ellborg, who returned in place of the ex- Aston Villa goalie Olsen.

Opponent's Difficulties

This was the Swedish side's first match since the domestic league concluded on November 9th, and they struggled 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. Yates had a volley blocked, but the Serbian defender Milenkovic pounced on the leftovers.

Forest then went for the jugular, with Hudson-Odoi chipping a effort on to the crossbar before Ibrahim Sangaré sent an ambitious shot off target from distance. It was that kind of nights. The manager, mindful of Sunday’s league game here against Brighton & Hove Albion, implemented multiple alterations from the side that surprised the Reds at Anfield recently, when they also scored three times, though he introduced substitutes and Igor Jesus during the final period.

Hiccup-Free Evening for Forest

It proved a hiccup-free night for Forest. The coach could withdraw the defender with the match long since boxed off and subsequently brought on 19-year-old defender Jimmy Sinclair for his senior bow. Dyche discussed the club legends providing “valuable insights” at weekly get-togethers and, nearly fifty years on, the current crop showed they are capable of producing of thrills, too.