Forest vs Malmö, Rangers vs Braga, and Additional – UEFA Europa League Updates
Match Coverage
Key Events
- Full-time: Young Boys 1-2 Aston Villa
- Goal scored!: Joël Monteiro scores for Young Boys at 90+1
- Match concluded: Feyenoord 1-3 Celtic
- Lineups announced: Starting players for Forest vs Malmö
- Team news: Starting XI for Rangers vs Braga
- Introduction
League Position
The initial outcomes have significant impact on the competition standings. Celtic have moved up to 17th position and returned to the secure playoff places.
| Pos | Team | Played | Goal Difference | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Midtjylland | 5 | 7 | 12 |
| 2 | Aston Villa | 5 | 5 | 12 |
| 3 | Freiburg | 5 | 5 | 11 |
| 4 | Ferencvaros | 5 | 4 | 11 |
| 5 | FC Porto | 5 | 3 | 10 |
| 17 | Celtic | 5 | -1 | 7 |
| 25 | Nottm Forest | 4 | 1 | 5 |
| 35 | Rangers | 4 | -7 | 0 |
| 33 | Malmo FF | 4 | -5 | 1 |
Final Score: Aston Villa 2-1
Villa managed to hold on for the victory and went equal on points with table-toppers Midtjylland at the top of the competition table. The English side had difficulty of that in the final stages.
90+1: Monteiro Pulls One Back
Young Boys gave themselves a hope through Monteiro but were left with four more minutes to score the leveler!
Glasgow Side Wins 3-1
A memorable and crucial win for the Scottish team. Although they went 1-0 down, Celtic responded strongly with goals from the Korean forward, Hatate and Benjamin Nygren.
Latest Action
The Birmingham side, at the same time, held onto a 2-0 lead over Young Boys with approximately five minutes left at Villa Park.
The Dutch forward's brace there sparked furious scenes in the opposition stands, with Swiss fans engaging with police. Scuffles broke out and items launched at both the authorities and at the playing surface, with the goalscorer being caught on the head by a throwable object.
Team News: Nottingham Forest v Malmö
Forest: Victor, Abbott, The center-back, Murillo, Morato, Yates, Sangare, The midfielder, McAtee, Hudson-Odoi, Kalimuendo.
The Swedish side: Ellborg, Larsen, Jansson, The defender, Rosler, The midfielder, Johnsen, Skogmar, Bolin, The forward, Busanello.
Official: Harm Osmers (from Germany)
Starting Players
Rangers: Butland, Tavernier, Fernandez, Djiga, Aarons, The midfielder, Diomande, The midfielder, Gassama, Danilo, Chermiti.
The Portuguese side: Hornicek, The defender, The center-back, The defender, Arrey-Mbi, The midfielder, Moutinho, Gorby, The attacker, Navarro, Horta.
Official: The Dutch referee (Netherlands)
Historical Context
The European clash and historical connections. The two clubs have a special connection, also competing in Forest's last European campaign in the 1995-96 Uefa Cup, but it is the premier competition final decades past that entwines these two together, with Britain's first £1m player the English forward scoring the winner of a rather dull championship game to secure historic victory for the Forest supporters.
"Brian Clough and Peter Taylor, unassuming and low-key amid all the festivities and cheers, stood for a moment on a bench quietly watching the revelry," wrote the match reporter. This represented an remarkable feat that it is unlikely to be replicated – from second tier to European football in a short period."
Worth mentioning to pause a little on Malmö, who became the pioneering and only Scandinavian side to make the championship match under British coach Houghton.
Tonight's game is a very different to that peak, closer perhaps to the previous continental meeting between Forest and Malmö in 1995-96. Forest are absolutely buzzing after beating Liverpool 3-0 at Anfield on Saturday, while Malmö haven't played officially since 9 November following the end of the Swedish league season. The popular prediction is on the Forest tonight.
Plenty of other action on offer in this live coverage. The Glasgow club have already been defeated by a Braga this season. Rangers are at the foot of the 36-team Europa League standings at the middle of the league phase with no points whatsoever. They urgently require a victory if they are to have any chance of achieving a recovery for a playoff spot.
Coverage will persist with all nine of the 8pm kick-offs and provide the current standings from the concluded fixtures, including Aston Villa v Young Boys and the Dutch-Scottish clash.
