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“You’ll never sing that, champions of Europe,” was chanted around the stadium as Forest followers celebrated a further win against Malmö. Much has happened since Francis's winning header secured the continental trophy back in the year 1979, but Forest still cherish those glorious moments. Similarly, major shifts have occurred in the weeks since Sean Dyche took charge, with the team appearing reinvigorated and securing a comfortable victory courtesy of goals from Kalimuendo, Ryan Yates, and Nikola Milenkovic, enhancing their prospects of advancing in the European competition.

Gaining Steam with Another Straight Win

For Forest, this result – against a Swedish side that had not played for almost three weeks after finishing sixth in their domestic league – marked a third consecutive win across all competitions and added to the positive energy gained from the previous week's stunning victory at Anfield. While this match was a re-run of the club's European Cup triumph in name, the game itself was devoid of any real jeopardy or nerves.

This was an event dripping in sentiment, an longed-for meeting and the third clash between the teams since the showpiece event over four decades past.

Forest fully embraced the heritage, honoring the heroes of that era by providing them, along with their Malmö opponents, the red-carpet treatment. 13 members of the Malmö's team from that time were also in attendance. Both teams enjoyed a meal together before the kick-off. Forest legends and company received a tumultuous welcome when they assembled on the pitch 15 minutes before kick-off, and a characteristically superb tifo was unveiled in the home stand.

Recalling the Past

“May 30, 1979, John Robertson delivered the ball from the left flank,” displayed half of a giant banner, in capital letters. While no one required a reminder of what ensued, the rest was revealed as the squads came out from the dressing rooms. “And there’s Francis,” it stated. A second stunning tifo depicted Brian Clough observing events beside his right-hand man Peter Taylor on a bench at the Olympiastadion.

Control from the Start

So, the hosts had drunk in those beautiful memories, but what about the showing on the evening? It was impressive, too. They were in full command from the moment Kalimuendo whistled an attempt wide inside the opening moments and built a 2-0 lead by the half-time interval. Domínguez sent an early header wide and then Zach Abbott, on his maiden European start, tried his luck.

It felt fitting that Ryan Yates, who came to the club as an eight-year-old, made the first dent in the Malmö defence led by their own academy product captain, Pontus Jansson, previously of Leeds and Brentford. The Forest defender Milenkovic saw a cross cannon off a opponent and into the pathway of the midfielder, who swept home right-footed from just inside the box to score his first goal since March.

Second Strike Seals Control

The scorer 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 on hand to convert the loose ball from point-blank range. James McAtee, the playmaker handed a seldom start and only his second outing since September, was the catalyst, lofting a perfect ball towards his teammate at the far post.

A minute earlier, Hudson-Odoi’s low effort was turned aside off the defender Rösler, son of former Man City striker Uwe Rösler, and an free Milenkovic had previously had a strong header smartly repelled by Ellborg, who was back in place of the ex- Aston Villa goalie Olsen.

Opponent's Difficulties

This was the Swedish side's initial game since the domestic league ended on November 9th, and they found it hard to equal the home team's intensity. The Reds made it 3-0 when the defender scored after his defensive colleague Murillo headed back a set-piece. Yates had a shot blocked, but the Serbia centre-back Milenkovic feasted on the rebound.

Forest then went for the jugular, with Hudson-Odoi dinking a right-foot shot on to the crossbar before Ibrahim Sangaré sent an ambitious effort wide from 30 yards. It was that kind of evenings. Dyche, aware of Sunday’s domestic fixture here against Brighton & Hove Albion, made seven changes from the side that surprised Liverpool at Anfield recently, when they also netted three times, though he called on substitutes and Igor Jesus midway through the second half.

Smooth Night for the Team

It proved a flawless evening for Nottingham Forest. The coach could take off Murillo with the match long since boxed off and later introduced 19-year-old full-back Sinclair for his senior bow. He talked about the club legends supplying “bits of gold” at regular meetings and, nearly fifty years on, the current crop showed they are capable of producing of excitement, too.