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“Champions of Europe, you’ll never sing that,” echoed around the ground as Nottingham Forest supporters celebrated a further win against their Swedish opponents. A great deal has occurred since Trevor Francis’s decisive header clinched the continental trophy back in the year 1979, but the club still cherish those glorious moments. Similarly, major changes have taken place in the weeks since Sean Dyche took charge, with the team appearing refreshed and securing a comfortable victory courtesy of goals from Arnaud Kalimuendo, Yates, and Nikola Milenkovic, boosting their hopes of advancing in the Europa League.

Building Steam with Another Consecutive Win

For Forest, this performance – against a Swedish side that had been inactive for nearly a month after ending in sixth place in their domestic league – represented a third straight triumph across every tournament and added to the momentum generated from last weekend’s success at Anfield. While this fixture was a reminder of the club's historic success in spirit, the encounter itself was devoid of any real tension or nerves.

It proved to be an event filled with nostalgia, an longed-for meeting and the third meeting between the teams since the European Cup final 46 years ago.

The home side fully embraced the history, paying tribute to the heroes of that era by providing them, along with their visiting counterparts, the red-carpet treatment. 13 members of the Swedish club’s team from that time were additionally present. Both teams shared a meal together before the kick-off. Frank Clark, Colin Barrett and company received a rousing welcome when they gathered on the pitch 15 minutes before kick-off, and a characteristically superb tifo was unveiled in the home stand.

Recalling the Past

“30th May 1979, Robertson delivered the ball from the left,” read half of a giant banner, in capital letters. While nobody required a reminder of what ensued, the rest was revealed as the squads came out from the tunnel. “And there’s Francis,” it continued. A second brilliant display showed Brian Clough observing proceedings beside his assistant Peter Taylor on a dugout at the Olympiastadion.

Dominance from the Start

So, the hosts had drunk in those beautiful memories, but what about the showing on the night? It was impressive, as well. They were in full command from the moment the forward whistled an attempt off target inside two minutes and established a 2-0 advantage by the break. Domínguez sent an early header off target and then Abbott, on his first European start, tried his luck.

It felt fitting that Ryan Yates, who joined the club as an eight-year-old, made the initial breakthrough in the visitors' defense captained by their own academy product skipper, Jansson, previously of Leeds and Brentford FC. The home defender Milenkovic saw a delivery deflect off a opponent and into the pathway of the midfielder, who finished with his right foot from just inside the penalty area to register his first goal since March.

Another Strike Seals Control

Yates was involved in Forest’s second goal on the brink of half-time, too, his free header saved by the shot-stopper Melker Ellborg but Kalimuendo on hand to convert the loose ball from close range. McAtee, the midfielder handed a rare start and only his second outing since the autumn, was the spark, chipping a delicious ball towards Yates at the far post.

Just moments before, Callum Hudson-Odoi low effort was deflected aside off Malmö back Colin Rösler, the son of ex- Man City forward Uwe Rösler, and an unmarked Milenkovic also earlier had a strong header smartly saved by the keeper, who was back in place of the ex- Villa goalie Olsen.

Malmö’s Difficulties

This was the Swedish side's initial game since the Swedish Allsvenskan ended on November 9th, and they found it hard to equal Forest’s energy. Forest made it 3-0 when Milenkovic scored after his centre-back partner Murillo headed back a corner. The captain had a volley stopped, but the Serbian defender Milenkovic pounced on the rebound.

The home side then pushed for more, with the winger dinking a effort on to the crossbar before Ibrahim Sangaré sent an optimistic shot off target from 30 yards. It was one of those evenings. The manager, mindful of Sunday’s league game here against Brighton & Hove Albion, implemented seven changes from the team that stunned the Reds at their ground last weekend, when they also scored three goals, though he introduced Elliot Anderson, Dan Ndoye and Igor Jesus during the final period.

Smooth Evening for the Team

It proved a flawless evening for Forest. Dyche could take off Murillo with the game long since boxed off and later introduced teenage defender Jimmy Sinclair for his senior bow. Dyche talked about the Forest old guard providing “valuable insights” at weekly get-togethers and, almost five decades on, the present squad showed they are able of a few nuggets of thrills, too.