Nottingham Forest v Malmö, Rangers v Braga, and Additional – UEFA Europa League Coverage
Match Coverage
Key Events
- Full-time: Villa 2-1 Young Boys
- GOAL!: Aston Villa 2-1 Young Boys (Joël Monteiro 90+1)
- Full-time: Feyenoord 1-3 Celtic
- Team news: Forest and Malmö lineups
- Starting players: Rangers v Braga teams!
- Opening notes
Current Table
These early results have significant impact on the Europa League table. The Glasgow side rose to the 17th spot and returned to the safety of qualification spots.
| Position | Side | Matches | Goal Difference | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
Match Result: Villa 2-1 Young Boys
The English side clung on for the three points and became tied on points with leaders Midtjylland at the summit of the group rankings. The Birmingham club had difficulty of that in the final stages.
GOAL! Aston Villa 2-1 Young Boys (Joël Monteiro 90+1)
The Swiss side created a hope through Monteiro but were left with additional time to score the leveler!
Full-time: Feyenoord 1-3 Celtic
A memorable and crucial win for the Glasgow side. Although they went 1-0 down, Celtic roared back with goals from the Korean forward, Reo Hatate and the Swedish striker.
Latest Action
Aston Villa, at the same time, retained a 2-0 lead over Young Boys with roughly 300 seconds left at Villa Park.
The Dutch forward's brace there caused dramatic events in the away end, with visiting fans clashing with police. Physical altercations occurred and projectiles hurled at both the officers and at the playing surface, with the player being caught on the head by a drinking vessel.
Team News: Nottingham Forest v Malmö
The Reds: The goalkeeper, Abbott, The center-back, The defender, Morato, Yates, The defensive midfielder, Dominguez, The attacker, Hudson-Odoi, Kalimuendo.
Malmö: Ellborg, Larsen, Jansson, The defender, The full-back, Haksabanovic, Johnsen, Skogmar, The attacker, Gudjohnsen, The striker.
Official: The German referee (German)
Lineups: Rangers vs Braga
The Glasgow side: Butland, The defender, Fernandez, Djiga, Aarons, Barron, The midfielder, Raskin, The attacker, The forward, Chermiti.
The Portuguese side: Hornicek, Gomez, The center-back, Niakate, The full-back, Zalazar, Joao Moutinho, Gorby, Martinez, Navarro, Horta.
Official: Lindhout (Netherlands)
Historical Context
Forest vs Malmö and memories of 1979. The two clubs have a unique relationship, also competing in Forest's most recent continental tour in the 1995-96 Uefa Cup, but it is the European Cup final decades past that links these clubs, with the record-breaking signing Francis netting the decisive goal of a rather dull championship game to claim legendary status for the Forest supporters.
"The legendary management duo, modestly dressed amid all the festivities and cheers, stood for a moment on a bench serenely viewing the revelry," wrote the match reporter. Their achievement was an outstanding achievement that it is unlikely to be replicated – from Second Division to European football in three seasons."
One should note to reflect upon Malmö, who became the pioneering and only Scandinavian side to reach the final under English manager Bob Houghton.
This match is a far cry from that summit, closer perhaps to the previous continental meeting between Forest and Malmö in 1995-96. Forest are absolutely buzzing after thrashing Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday, while Malmö haven't played officially since early November following the end of the Swedish league season. The general expectation is on the home team tonight.
Numerous other matches on offer in this live coverage. The Scottish side have already been beaten by a European rival this season. Rangers are at the foot of the competition table at the middle of the initial phase with exactly zero. They urgently require a victory if they are to have any chance of achieving a late surge for a knockout position.
Updates will continue with all the late games and provide the most recent results from the concluded fixtures, including Villa vs Young Boys and Feyenoord v Celtic.
