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“Champions of Europe, you’ll never sing that,” echoed through the ground as Forest supporters reveled in a further success against their Swedish opponents. A great deal has transpired since Trevor Francis’s winning header clinched the continental trophy in 1979, but Forest continue to hold dear those memories. Similarly, significant shifts have occurred in the weeks since the manager took charge, with the team appearing reinvigorated and securing a convincing win courtesy of goals from Arnaud Kalimuendo, Ryan Yates, and Nikola Milenkovic, boosting their hopes of progressing in the Europa League.

Building Momentum with Third Consecutive Victory

For Forest, this performance – against a Swedish side that had been inactive for nearly a month after finishing in sixth place in their home competition – represented a third consecutive win across all competitions and added to the positive energy generated from last weekend’s success at Anfield. While this fixture was a re-run of Forest’s European Cup triumph in name, the game itself was free of any real tension or nerves.

It proved to be an event dripping in nostalgia, an eagerly awaited reunion and the third competitive clash between the teams since the showpiece event 46 years ago.

The home side leaned into the heritage, paying tribute to the legends of 1979 by giving them, along with their visiting opponents, the VIP welcome. Thirteen members of the Malmö's team from that time were additionally present. The two clubs shared a dinner together before the match. Forest legends and their teammates received a tumultuous reception when they assembled on the pitch 15 minutes before kick-off, and a typically superb tifo was shown in the home stand.

Remembering History

“May 30, 1979, John Robertson delivered the ball from the left flank,” displayed half of a giant banner, in capital letters. While nobody required a reminder of what ensued, the remaining section was unfurled as the squads came out from the tunnel. “There is Francis,” it continued. Another brilliant tifo depicted Brian Clough observing events beside his right-hand man Peter Taylor on a dugout at the Olympiastadion.

Control from the Start

So, the hosts had drunk in those beautiful memories, but what about the performance on the evening? It was pretty good, as well. They were in complete control from the moment Kalimuendo whistled an attempt off target inside the opening moments and established a 2-0 lead by the break. Nicolás Domínguez sent an early header off target and then Zach Abbott, on his first European start, tried his luck.

It seemed appropriate that Ryan Yates, who came to Forest as an eight-year-old, made the first dent in the Malmö defense captained by their own homegrown captain, Pontus Jansson, formerly of Leeds United and Brentford FC. The home centre-back Milenkovic saw a delivery deflect off a defender and into the pathway of Yates, who finished right-footed from just inside the penalty area to register his maiden strike since last March.

Second Strike Seals Dominance

Yates was implicated in the team's second goal on the brink of the interval, as well, his unmarked header parried by Malmö’s shot-stopper Ellborg but Kalimuendo poised to convert the rebound from point-blank range. James McAtee, the playmaker handed a rare start and only his second outing since September, was the catalyst, lofting a perfect ball towards Yates at the back post.

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

Malmö’s Struggles

This was Malmö’s first match since the Swedish Allsvenskan ended on 9 November, and they struggled to equal the home team's energy. Forest made it 3-0 when Milenkovic scored after his defensive colleague Murillo kept alive a set-piece. Yates had a volley blocked, but the Serbia centre-back Milenkovic pounced on the leftovers.

The home side then pushed for more, with Hudson-Odoi dinking a right-foot shot on to the bar before Ibrahim Sangaré sent an ambitious shot wide from distance. It was that kind of nights. Dyche, mindful of the upcoming domestic fixture here against Brighton & Hove Albion, made seven changes from the side that surprised the Reds at their ground last weekend, when they also scored three times, though he called on substitutes and Igor Jesus midway through the second half.

Hiccup-Free Night for Forest

It turned out to be a hiccup-free evening for Forest. The coach could withdraw Murillo with the game already boxed off and later brought on teenage full-back Jimmy Sinclair for his first-team debut. Dyche talked about the club legends supplying “valuable insights” at regular meetings and, almost five decades on, the current crop showed they are able of a few nuggets of excitement, as well.