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“Champions of Europe, you’ll never sing that,” was chanted through the ground as Nottingham Forest supporters reveled in another success against their Swedish opponents. A great deal has happened since Francis's decisive header secured the European Cup in the year 1979, but the club still hold dear those glorious moments. Equally, major shifts have occurred in the five weeks since Sean Dyche assumed control, with Forest appearing reinvigorated and securing a comfortable win courtesy of goals from Arnaud Kalimuendo, Ryan Yates, and Milenkovic, enhancing their prospects of advancing in the European competition.

Building Steam with Third Consecutive Victory

For Forest, this result – against a Swedish side that had been inactive for almost three weeks after ending in sixth place in their home competition – represented a third consecutive win across all competitions and added to the positive energy gained from the previous week's success at Anfield. While this fixture was a reminder of Forest’s historic success in name, the game itself was devoid of any significant jeopardy or jitters.

It proved to be an event filled with nostalgia, an eagerly awaited meeting and the third competitive clash between the teams since the showpiece event over four decades past.

Forest fully embraced the history, honoring the heroes of 1979 by giving them, along with their visiting opponents, the VIP welcome. Thirteen members of the Swedish club’s squad from then were also in attendance. The two clubs shared a meal together before the kick-off. Forest legends and company received a rousing reception when they assembled on the pitch a quarter of an hour before kick-off, and a characteristically impressive tifo was shown in the home stand.

Recalling the Past

“30th May 1979, Robertson delivered the ball from the left,” displayed half of a giant tifo, in capital letters. While no one needed reminding of what happened next, the remaining section was revealed as the squads came out from the dressing rooms. “And there’s Francis,” it stated. Another stunning tifo showed Brian Clough watching events beside his assistant Peter Taylor on a bench at the Munich stadium.

Dominance from the Start

So, Forest had drunk in those wonderful memories, but what about the performance on the evening? It was strong, too. They were in full command from the moment Kalimuendo fired an attempt wide inside the opening moments and established a two-goal advantage by the break. Domínguez sent an early header wide and then Zach Abbott, on his maiden European start, tried his luck.

It felt fitting that Yates, who joined the club as an eight-year-old, made the first dent in the Malmö defense captained by their own academy product captain, Pontus Jansson, previously of Leeds and Brentford. The Forest centre-back Nikola Milenkovic saw a delivery cannon off a defender and into the pathway of Yates, who swept home with his right foot from just inside the penalty area to register his maiden strike since March.

Another Strike Confirms Dominance

Yates was involved in Forest’s next goal on the verge of half-time, too, his free header saved by the goalkeeper Ellborg but Kalimuendo on hand to convert the rebound from close range. McAtee, the midfielder handed a seldom start and just his second outing since September, was the spark, lofting a delicious ball towards Yates at the back post.

Just moments before, Callum Hudson-Odoi low effort was deflected aside off the back Rösler, son of former Manchester City forward Uwe, and an free Milenkovic also previously had a powerful header instinctively repelled by Ellborg, who returned in place of the former Villa goalkeeper Olsen.

Malmö’s Difficulties

This was Malmö’s initial game since the domestic league ended on 9 November, and they struggled to match Forest’s intensity. Forest made it 3-0 when the defender applied the finishing touch after his defensive colleague Murillo headed back a set-piece. The captain had a volley blocked, but the Serbia defender Milenkovic pounced on the rebound.

The home side then went for the jugular, with Hudson-Odoi chipping a right-foot shot on to the crossbar before Ibrahim Sangaré sent an optimistic effort wide from 30 yards. It was one of those nights. Dyche, mindful of Sunday’s domestic fixture here against Brighton & Hove Albion, implemented seven changes from the team that surprised the Reds at Anfield recently, when they additionally netted three goals, though he called on Elliot Anderson, Dan Ndoye and further fresh legs during the second half.

Hiccup-Free Night for the Team

It turned out to be a hiccup-free evening for Forest. The coach could withdraw Murillo with the game already sewn up and subsequently brought on teenage full-back Jimmy Sinclair for his senior bow. He talked about the Forest old guard providing “bits of gold” at regular meetings and, almost five decades on, the current crop demonstrated they are capable of a few nuggets of excitement, too.