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“Champions of Europe, you’ll never sing that,” echoed through the stadium as Nottingham Forest fans celebrated a further success against their Swedish opponents. Much has transpired since Trevor Francis’s winning header secured the European Cup back in 1979, but the club continue to hold dear those memories. Equally, major changes have occurred in the weeks since Sean Dyche took charge, with the team looking refreshed and earning a convincing victory courtesy of goals from Arnaud Kalimuendo, Ryan Yates, and Nikola Milenkovic, enhancing their hopes of advancing in the European competition.

Gaining Steam with Another Straight Win

For Nottingham Forest, this result – against a Malmö side that had been inactive for almost three weeks after ending in sixth place in their domestic league – represented a third consecutive triumph across all competitions and further built on the positive energy gained from last weekend’s success at Anfield. While this match was a re-run of the club's European Cup success in name, the encounter itself was devoid of any significant tension or jitters.

It proved to be an event dripping in sentiment, an eagerly awaited meeting and the third competitive meeting between the sides since the European Cup final 46 years ago.

Forest fully embraced the history, honoring the heroes of that era by providing them, along with their Malmö opponents, the red-carpet treatment. Thirteen members of the Malmö's team from that time were also in attendance. Both teams enjoyed a dinner together prior to the match. Forest legends and company were given a tumultuous welcome when they gathered on the field 15 minutes before the start, and a characteristically superb display was shown in the Trent End.

Remembering History

“30th May 1979, Robertson crossed it in from the left,” read half of a large banner, in capital letters. While no one needed reminding of what ensued, the remaining section was revealed as the players came out from the tunnel. “And there’s Francis,” it continued. Another brilliant display depicted Brian Clough observing events beside his right-hand man Peter Taylor on a dugout at the Munich stadium.

Dominance from the Start

So, the hosts had drunk in those wonderful recollections, but what about the performance on the evening? It was impressive, too. They were in complete control from the moment the forward fired an attempt off target inside two minutes and established a 2-0 lead by the break. Nicolás Domínguez sent an early header off target and then Zach Abbott, on his maiden European start, tried his luck.

It felt fitting that Yates, who joined Forest as an eight-year-old, made the initial breakthrough in the visitors' defence captained by their own academy product skipper, Jansson, formerly of Leeds and Brentford. The home defender Nikola Milenkovic saw a delivery cannon off a defender and into the path of Yates, who finished with his right foot from the edge of the penalty area to register his first goal since last March.

Another Goal Seals Control

Yates was implicated in Forest’s second goal on the verge of the interval, too, his unmarked header parried by Malmö’s shot-stopper Melker Ellborg but Kalimuendo poised to tap in the rebound from point-blank range. James McAtee, the playmaker given a seldom start and just his second outing since the autumn, was the spark, chipping a delicious ball towards Yates at the back post.

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

Malmö’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 made it 3-0 when Milenkovic applied the finishing touch after his centre-back partner Murillo kept alive a set-piece. Yates had a volley stopped, but the Serbia centre-back Milenkovic pounced on the leftovers.

The home side then went for the jugular, with the winger chipping a effort on to the crossbar before Sangaré sent an ambitious effort off target from 30 yards. It was one of those evenings. The manager, mindful of Sunday’s domestic fixture here against Brighton, made multiple alterations from the side that surprised the Reds at Anfield recently, when they also netted three times, though he introduced substitutes and Igor Jesus midway through the final period.

Smooth Evening for the Team

It turned out to be a hiccup-free night for Forest. Dyche could withdraw the defender with the game long since sewn up and later introduced 19-year-old defender Jimmy Sinclair for his senior bow. Dyche discussed the club legends providing “valuable insights” at regular meetings and, nearly fifty years on, the present squad demonstrated they are able of a few nuggets of excitement, as well.