Nottingham Forest breezed past Malmo in the Europa League to strengthen their grip on a play-off place.
Skipper Ryan Yates, Arnaud Kalimuendo and Nikola Milenkovic scored to ensure a comfortable win, in a repeat of the 1979 European Cup final when Forest beat the 24-time Swedish champions.
Nottingham recorded three successive wins for the first time since the turn of the year – the drop-off in their form during the second half of last season the reason why they are in the Europa League and not the Champions League.
But they are now two points off the top eight – automatic qualification for the last 16 – with three games left.
“The mentality we’re trying to build here, it’s one game at a time. I’ve never lost sight of that,” said manager Sean Dyche.
“If you take care of results it starts looking after itself and you don’t have to constantly look at the tables if you are winning games – certainly enough of them. We have laid down some really good markers, for us, some internal markers of what the group should expect from themselves.
“It’s important you do get rewards – and the reward is winning games.”
Dyche has wrested control of a combustible situation after Nuno Espirito Santo was sacked having fallen out with global sporting director Edu and owner Evangelos Marinakis before replacement Ange Postecoglou lasted 39 days.
Saturday’s 3-0 win at floundering Liverpool lifted them out of the Premier League relegation zone, and victory against Malmo at the City Ground took them to 16th in the Europa League table and in line for the play-offs to reach the last 16.
The hosts were always comfortable, even before Yates’ fine first-half finish, and Kalimuendo and Milenkovic nearly added a second.
Yet just before the break striker Kalimuendo got his first goal, following up after Yates’ header was saved, since a £26m summer move from Rennes.
Milenkovic added a third from close range soon after the restart and Callum Hudson-Odoi hit the bar as Nottingham threatened to run riot.
“Certainly very pleased, overall,” added Dyche, who made seven changes.
“I spoke to the group about squad mentality, because it’s going to be important going forwards. The fixture list is quite clear with how congested it is going to get over the next couple of months.
“It was important for some of them to get through the full game. Ideally when I go into a club it’s getting fit for the task, not using the task to get fit. But these games are important to use it for the 90 minutes when we can.”
