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“Champions of Europe, you’ll never sing that,” was chanted around the City Ground as Nottingham Forest followers reveled in a further success against their Swedish opponents. A great deal has occurred since Francis's decisive header secured the European Cup in 1979, but the club still hold dear those glorious moments. Equally, significant shifts have occurred in the five weeks since the manager assumed control, with Forest appearing refreshed and securing a convincing victory courtesy of goals from Arnaud Kalimuendo, Ryan Yates, and Nikola Milenkovic, enhancing their hopes of progressing in the European competition.

Gaining Momentum with Third Straight Win

For Forest, this result – against a Swedish side that had been inactive for almost three weeks after finishing in sixth place in their domestic league – represented a third consecutive win across all competitions and further built on the positive energy generated from last weekend’s success at Anfield. While this match was a reminder of Forest’s European Cup triumph in spirit, the game itself was devoid of any real tension or jitters.

It proved to be an occasion filled with nostalgia, an longed-for reunion and the third competitive meeting between the sides since the European Cup final over four decades past.

The home side leaned into the history, honoring the heroes of that era by giving them, along with their Malmö counterparts, the red-carpet treatment. Thirteen members of the Swedish club’s team from that time were also in attendance. The two clubs enjoyed a meal together prior to the kick-off. Forest legends and their teammates received a rousing reception when they assembled on the pitch 15 minutes before the start, and a characteristically impressive tifo was shown in the home stand.

Remembering the Past

“May 30, 1979, Robertson crossed it in from the left,” read one part of a large banner, in capital letters. While no one required a reminder of what happened next, the remaining section was revealed as the players came out from the tunnel. “And there’s Francis,” it continued. Another stunning tifo showed Clough watching events beside his assistant Taylor on a bench at the Olympiastadion.

Control from the Outset

So, the hosts had drunk in those beautiful memories, but what about the performance on the night? It was pretty good, too. They were in complete control from the moment the forward fired an attempt wide inside two minutes and built a 2-0 lead by the half-time interval. Domínguez sent an early header off target and then Abbott, on his first European start, tried his luck.

It seemed appropriate that Ryan Yates, who came to the club as an eight-year-old, made the first dent in the Malmö defence captained by their own academy product skipper, Jansson, previously of Leeds and Brentford. The Forest defender Nikola Milenkovic saw a delivery deflect off a opponent and into the path of Yates, who finished right-footed from just inside the box to score his maiden strike since March.

Another Strike Confirms Dominance

Yates was involved in the team's next goal on the verge of the interval, too, his free header parried by the goalkeeper Ellborg but Kalimuendo poised to convert the rebound from point-blank range. McAtee, the playmaker given a rare start and just his second outing since September, was the spark, chipping a perfect ball towards his teammate at the back post.

A minute earlier, Hudson-Odoi’s low effort was deflected aside off the back Colin Rösler, the son of former Manchester City striker Uwe Rösler, and an free Milenkovic also previously had a powerful header instinctively repelled by the keeper, who returned in place of the former Aston Villa goalkeeper Olsen.

Malmö’s Struggles

This was Malmö’s first match since the domestic league concluded on November 9th, and they struggled to match the home team's energy. The Reds made it 3-0 when Milenkovic scored after his defensive colleague Murillo headed back a corner. Yates had a shot blocked, but the Serbian defender Milenkovic feasted on the rebound.

The home side then pushed for more, with the winger chipping a effort on to the crossbar before Ibrahim Sangaré sent an optimistic effort wide from distance. It was one of those nights. The manager, mindful of Sunday’s domestic fixture here against Brighton & Hove Albion, implemented seven changes from the team that stunned the Reds at their ground last weekend, when they also netted three times, though he introduced substitutes and Igor Jesus during the final period.

Smooth Evening for the Team

It turned out to be a hiccup-free night for Nottingham Forest. Dyche could withdraw the defender with the match already boxed off and subsequently brought on teenage defender Jimmy Sinclair for his first-team debut. He discussed the Forest old guard supplying “bits of gold” at weekly get-togethers and, nearly fifty years on, the current crop demonstrated they are capable of a few nuggets of excitement, as well.