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“Champions of Europe, you’ll never sing that,” rang out through the City Ground as Forest followers celebrated another success against their Swedish opponents. Much has occurred since Francis's winning header secured the European Cup back in the year 1979, but the club still treasure those memories. Similarly, major shifts have taken place in the weeks since Sean Dyche assumed control, with the team appearing refreshed and securing a convincing win courtesy of goals from Arnaud Kalimuendo, Yates, and Nikola Milenkovic, boosting their prospects of advancing in the Europa League.

Building Steam with Another Consecutive Victory

For Nottingham Forest, this performance – against a Malmö side that had not played for almost three weeks after ending sixth in their home competition – represented a third consecutive triumph across every tournament 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 European Cup triumph in spirit, the encounter itself was free of any real tension or nerves.

It proved to be an event filled with nostalgia, an eagerly awaited reunion and the third meeting between the sides since the showpiece event 46 years ago.

Forest leaned into the history, paying tribute to the heroes of 1979 by giving them, along with their Malmö opponents, the red-carpet treatment. Thirteen members of the Malmö's squad from then were also in attendance. The two clubs enjoyed a meal together before the kick-off. Frank Clark, Colin Barrett and company received a tumultuous reception when they gathered on the pitch a quarter of an hour before the start, and a characteristically impressive tifo was shown in the home stand.

Recalling History

“May 30, 1979, Robertson crossed it in from the left,” read half of a giant tifo, in block capitals. While nobody required a reminder of what ensued, the remaining section was revealed as the squads emerged from the tunnel. “And there’s Francis,” it continued. A second stunning tifo showed Clough observing events beside his assistant 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 night? It was pretty good, too. They were in full command from the moment the forward whistled an effort off target inside two minutes and established a two-goal advantage by the break. Nicolás Domínguez sent an early header wide and then Abbott, on his first European start, had a go.

It seemed appropriate that Yates, who came to the club as an eight-year-old, made the initial breakthrough in the visitors' defence led by their own homegrown captain, Jansson, formerly of Leeds and Brentford. The Forest defender Nikola Milenkovic saw a cross deflect off a defender and into the pathway of the midfielder, who finished with his right foot from just inside the penalty area to score his maiden strike since last March.

Second Goal Seals Control

Yates was implicated in Forest’s next goal on the verge of the interval, too, his unmarked header saved by Malmö’s shot-stopper Ellborg but the alert forward on hand to tap in the rebound from close range. McAtee, the playmaker given a rare start and only his second appearance since September, was the catalyst, chipping a perfect ball towards Yates at the far post.

Just moments before, Hudson-Odoi’s driven shot was deflected wide off the defender Rösler, the son of former Man City forward Uwe Rösler, and an free Milenkovic also previously had a powerful header smartly repelled by Ellborg, who returned in place of the former Aston Villa goalkeeper Robin Olsen.

Malmö’s Struggles

This was Malmö’s first match since the Swedish Allsvenskan ended on November 9th, and they found it hard to equal Forest’s intensity. Forest made it 3-0 when the defender applied the finishing touch after his defensive colleague Murillo kept alive a corner. Yates had a shot stopped, but the Serbian centre-back Milenkovic feasted on the rebound.

The home side then went for the jugular, with Hudson-Odoi dinking a right-foot shot on to the crossbar before Sangaré sent an optimistic shot wide from distance. It was one of those nights. The manager, mindful of the upcoming league game here against Brighton, made seven changes from the team that stunned the Reds at their ground last weekend, when they additionally netted three goals, though he called on Elliot Anderson, Dan Ndoye and further fresh legs during the final period.

Smooth Evening for Forest

It proved a hiccup-free night for Forest. Dyche could withdraw the defender with the game long since sewn up and subsequently brought on teenage defender Jimmy Sinclair for his senior bow. He discussed the club legends providing “bits of gold” at weekly get-togethers and, nearly fifty years on, the present squad showed they are capable of producing of excitement, as well.