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“You’ll never sing that, champions of Europe,” was chanted through the City Ground as Forest fans celebrated another win against their Swedish opponents. A great deal has transpired since Trevor Francis’s decisive header secured the continental trophy back in the year 1979, but the club continue to treasure those glorious moments. Similarly, significant changes have occurred in the five weeks since Sean Dyche took charge, with the team looking reinvigorated and securing a comfortable victory courtesy of goals from Arnaud Kalimuendo, Ryan Yates, and Milenkovic, boosting their hopes of progressing in the Europa League.

Gaining Momentum with Another 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 straight triumph across all competitions and added to the positive energy generated from the previous week's stunning victory at Liverpool. While this fixture was a re-run of the club's European Cup triumph in spirit, the game itself was free of any significant tension or jitters.

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

Forest fully embraced the history, paying tribute to the legends of that era by giving them, along with their visiting counterparts, the red-carpet treatment. Thirteen members of the Malmö's squad from then were additionally in attendance. Both teams shared a dinner together before the match. Frank Clark, Colin Barrett and company were given a rousing welcome when they assembled on the pitch 15 minutes before kick-off, and a characteristically superb display was shown in the home stand.

Remembering the Past

“May 30, 1979, John Robertson crossed it in from the left flank,” read one part of a large banner, in block capitals. While nobody needed reminding of what ensued, the rest was revealed as the squads emerged from the dressing rooms. “There is Francis,” it continued. Another stunning tifo showed Clough watching events beside his right-hand man Taylor on a bench at the Munich stadium.

Dominance from the Outset

So, Forest had drunk in those wonderful memories, but what about the showing on the night? It was pretty good, as well. They were in full command from the moment Kalimuendo fired an effort wide inside two minutes and established a 2-0 advantage by the break. Nicolás Domínguez sent an early header off target and then Abbott, on his maiden European start, tried his luck.

It seemed appropriate that Yates, who joined the club as an eight-year-old, made the initial breakthrough in the Malmö defence captained by their own homegrown skipper, Jansson, previously of Leeds and Brentford FC. The Forest centre-back 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 box to score his first goal since last March.

Another Strike Seals Control

Yates was involved in Forest’s next goal on the brink of the interval, too, his unmarked header saved by Malmö’s goalkeeper Melker Ellborg but the alert forward poised to tap in the loose ball from point-blank range. McAtee, the midfielder given a seldom start and only his second appearance since the autumn, was the catalyst, chipping a perfect ball towards his teammate at the far post.

Just moments before, Callum Hudson-Odoi low effort was turned aside off the back Colin Rösler, son of former Manchester City striker Uwe Rösler, and an free Milenkovic had earlier had a powerful header smartly saved by the keeper, who was back in place of the former Aston Villa goalkeeper Robin Olsen.

Opponent's Struggles

This was Malmö’s initial game since the Swedish Allsvenskan concluded on 9 November, and they struggled to equal the home team's energy. The Reds extended the lead to three when Milenkovic applied the finishing touch after his defensive colleague Murillo headed back a set-piece. Yates had a shot blocked, but the Serbia centre-back Milenkovic feasted on the leftovers.

Forest then went for the jugular, with the winger dinking a right-foot shot on to the crossbar before Ibrahim Sangaré sent an ambitious shot wide from 30 yards. It was that kind of nights. The manager, mindful of the upcoming league game here against Brighton & Hove Albion, made seven changes from the side that stunned Liverpool at Anfield last weekend, when they also netted three times, though he introduced substitutes and further fresh legs during the second half.

Hiccup-Free Evening for the Team

It turned out to be a flawless night for Nottingham Forest. The coach could take off the defender with the game already sewn up and later introduced teenage defender Sinclair for his first-team debut. Dyche talked about the Forest old guard providing “valuable insights” at weekly get-togethers and, almost five decades on, the present squad demonstrated they are able of a few nuggets of excitement, too.