Forest vs Malmö, Braga vs Rangers, and Additional – Europa League Updates
Match Coverage
Major Moments
- Final whistle: Aston Villa 2-1 Young Boys
- Goal scored!: Late goal from Monteiro makes it 2-1
- Full-time: Feyenoord 1-3 Celtic
- Starting XI: Starting players for Forest vs Malmö
- Team news: Rangers v Braga teams!
- Introduction
Current Table
The initial outcomes have significant impact on the Europa League table. Celtic climbed to 17th position and returned to the secure knockout positions.
| Rank | Side | P | GD | 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 |
Final Score: Aston Villa 2-1
Aston Villa secured for the win and moved level on points with table-toppers Midtjylland at the top of the competition table. The Birmingham club had difficulty of that at the end.
GOAL! Aston Villa 2-1 Young Boys (Joël Monteiro 90+1)
The Swiss side created a chance through Monteiro but had just stoppage time to score the leveler!
Glasgow Side Wins 3-1
A significant and important win for the Glasgow side. Even after falling 1-0 down, Celtic roared back with goals from the Korean forward, Reo Hatate and Benjamin Nygren.
Game Developments
Aston Villa, meanwhile, maintained a 2-0 lead over Young Boys with approximately five minutes left at their home ground.
Malen's second goal there triggered intense reactions in the away end, with Young Boys supporters engaging with police. Punches were thrown and projectiles hurled at both the authorities and toward the field, with the goalscorer being struck in the head by a plastic cup.
Lineups: Forest vs Malmö
The Reds: Victor, Abbott, Milenkovic, Murillo, Morato, The midfielder, Sangare, Dominguez, McAtee, The winger, Kalimuendo.
The Swedish side: The goalkeeper, Stryger Larsen, Jansson, The defender, Rosler, Haksabanovic, Johnsen, Skogmar, Bolin, The forward, The striker.
Referee: Osmers (German)
Lineups: Rangers vs Braga
Rangers: Butland, The defender, Fernandez, The defender, The full-back, Barron, Diomande, The midfielder, Gassama, Danilo, Chermiti.
The Portuguese side: Hornicek, Gomez, Lagerbielke, The defender, The full-back, Zalazar, The experienced midfielder, Gorby, Martinez, The forward, Horta.
Official: The Dutch referee (from Netherlands)
Historical Context
Nottingham Forest v Malmö and memories of 1979. The these sides have a unique relationship, also meeting in Forest's most recent continental tour in the 1995-96 Uefa Cup, but it is the European Cup final from 1979 that links these clubs, with the groundbreaking transfer Francis heading the only goal of a pretty miserable final to claim legendary status for the Forest supporters.
"The legendary management duo, grey-sweatered and anonymous amid all the festivities and cheers, stood for a moment on a bench quietly watching the celebrations," wrote the match reporter. Theirs has been an outstanding achievement that it is unlikely to be replicated – from Second Division to European football in just three years."
One should note to consider Malmö, who became the first, and to date the last Swedish club to reach the final under manager Houghton.
Tonight's game is a far cry from that summit, closer perhaps to the earlier European encounter between Forest and Malmö in the mid-nineties. Forest are riding high after thrashing Liverpool at Liverpool's home on Saturday, while Malmö haven't played officially since early November following the end of the Swedish league season. The popular prediction is on the English side tonight.
Additional games on offer in this live coverage. The Glasgow club have already been lost to a Portuguese opponent this season. Rangers are last place of the 36-team Europa League standings at the midpoint of the initial phase with precisely zero points. They desperately need a victory if they are to have any chance of achieving a comeback for a playoff spot.
Coverage will persist with all the late games and provide the current standings from the earlier matches, including Villa vs Young Boys and Rotterdam vs Glasgow.
