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“Champions of Europe, you’ll never sing that,” rang out through the City Ground as Forest supporters reveled in a further win against their Swedish opponents. A great deal has occurred since Trevor Francis’s winning header secured the European Cup back in the year 1979, but Forest still hold dear those memories. Similarly, major shifts have taken place in the five weeks since the manager took charge, with the team appearing reinvigorated and earning a convincing victory courtesy of goals from Arnaud Kalimuendo, Ryan Yates, and Milenkovic, boosting their prospects of advancing in the Europa League.

Gaining Momentum with Another Consecutive Victory

For Nottingham Forest, this performance – against a Swedish side that had been inactive for almost three weeks after finishing sixth in their home competition – represented a third consecutive win across all competitions and added to the positive energy generated from the previous week's stunning victory at Anfield. While this fixture was a re-run of the club's European Cup success in spirit, the game itself was free of any real tension or jitters.

This was an event filled with nostalgia, an eagerly awaited meeting and the third competitive clash between the sides since the European Cup final 46 years ago.

Forest fully embraced the history, paying tribute to the legends of 1979 by giving them, along with their Malmö counterparts, the red-carpet treatment. 13 members of the Swedish club’s team from then were also present. The two clubs enjoyed a meal together prior to the kick-off. Forest legends and their teammates received a rousing reception when they gathered on the pitch a quarter of an hour before the start, and a typically superb tifo was unveiled in the home stand.

Remembering the Past

“May 30, 1979, Robertson crossed it in from the left,” displayed half of a giant banner, in block capitals. While no one needed reminding of what happened next, the rest was unfurled as the squads came out from the tunnel. “And there’s Francis,” it stated. A second brilliant tifo depicted Clough watching proceedings beside his right-hand man Peter Taylor on a dugout at the Olympiastadion.

Control from the Start

So, Forest had drunk in those wonderful recollections, but what about the performance on the night? It was strong, as well. They were in full command from the moment the forward fired an effort off target inside two minutes and established a two-goal lead by the half-time interval. Nicolás Domínguez sent an early header off target and then Zach 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 Malmö defence captained by their own homegrown captain, Pontus Jansson, formerly of Leeds and Brentford. The home defender Nikola Milenkovic saw a cross deflect off a opponent and into the pathway of the midfielder, who finished right-footed from the edge of the box to register his first goal since last March.

Second Goal Confirms Control

The scorer was involved in Forest’s next goal on the brink of half-time, as well, his unmarked header saved by Malmö’s goalkeeper Ellborg but Kalimuendo on hand to convert the rebound from point-blank range. McAtee, the playmaker handed a rare start and just his second appearance since September, was the catalyst, chipping a perfect ball towards his teammate at the back post.

Just moments before, Hudson-Odoi’s driven shot was turned aside off the defender Rösler, son of former Manchester City forward Uwe Rösler, and an unmarked Milenkovic had earlier had a powerful header smartly repelled by the keeper, who was back in place of the former Villa goalkeeper Robin Olsen.

Malmö’s Struggles

This was the Swedish side's initial game since the Swedish Allsvenskan ended on 9 November, and they found it hard to match Forest’s energy. Forest made it 3-0 when Milenkovic applied the finishing touch after his defensive colleague Murillo headed back a set-piece. Yates had a shot stopped, but the Serbian centre-back Milenkovic feasted on the leftovers.

The home side then went for the jugular, with Hudson-Odoi chipping a effort on to the bar before Ibrahim Sangaré sent an ambitious effort wide from distance. It was that kind of evenings. The manager, aware of Sunday’s domestic fixture here against Brighton, made multiple alterations from the team that stunned the Reds at their ground last weekend, when they also scored three times, though he introduced Elliot Anderson, Dan Ndoye and further fresh legs midway through the final period.

Smooth Night for the Team

It proved a hiccup-free night for Nottingham Forest. The coach could withdraw Murillo with the game long since sewn up and later introduced 19-year-old full-back Jimmy Sinclair for his senior bow. He discussed the club legends supplying “valuable insights” at weekly get-togethers and, nearly fifty years on, the present squad demonstrated they are capable of a few nuggets of excitement, as well.