Malmö vs Nottingham Forest, Rangers vs Braga, and Additional – Europa League Coverage
Match Coverage
Important Updates
- Final whistle: Young Boys 1-2 Aston Villa
- GOAL!: Joël Monteiro scores for Young Boys at 90+1
- Game over: Feyenoord defeated 1-3 by Celtic
- Team news: Starting players for Forest vs Malmö
- Lineups revealed: Rangers and Braga lineups
- Preamble
League Position
The initial outcomes have significant impact on the Europa League table. Celtic have moved up to the 17th spot and returned to the protected qualification spots.
| Position | Club | Played | 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
Villa managed to hold on for the three points and went equal on points with front-runners Midtjylland at the top of the competition table. Villa struggled of that in the final stages.
GOAL! Aston Villa 2-1 Young Boys (Joël Monteiro 90+1)
Young Boys earned a lifeline through Monteiro but only have stoppage time to find an equaliser!
Celtic Secure Victory
A significant and important win for the Celtic. Despite going 1-0 down, Celtic responded strongly with goals from the Korean forward, Reo Hatate and Nygren.
Latest Action
The Birmingham side, meanwhile, maintained a 2-0 lead over Young Boys with roughly 300 seconds left at their home ground.
Malen's second goal there triggered intense reactions in the visitors' section, with Young Boys supporters engaging with police. Punches were thrown and objects thrown at both the authorities and at the playing surface, with the goalscorer being struck in the head by a drinking vessel.
Lineups: Forest vs Malmö
Nottingham Forest: Victor, Abbott, Milenkovic, Murillo, Morato, Yates, The defensive midfielder, Dominguez, McAtee, The winger, Kalimuendo.
Malmö: The goalkeeper, Larsen, Jansson, The defender, The full-back, Haksabanovic, Johnsen, The midfielder, The attacker, The forward, The striker.
Match official: Harm Osmers (from Germany)
Starting Players
The Light Blues: The goalkeeper, Tavernier, Fernandez, Djiga, Aarons, Barron, Diomande, Raskin, The attacker, The forward, Chermiti.
The Portuguese side: Hornicek, Gomez, Lagerbielke, The defender, Arrey-Mbi, Zalazar, Moutinho, The midfielder, Martinez, The forward, Ricardo Horta.
Referee: Lindhout (Netherlands)
Historical Context
Forest vs Malmö and historical connections. The two clubs have a unique relationship, also competing in Forest's most recent continental tour in the mid-90s European competition, but it is the European Cup final decades past that entwines these two together, with Britain's first £1m player Trevor Francis heading the only goal of a largely forgettable match to clinch eternal glory for the the English club.
"The legendary management duo, unassuming and low-key amid all the festivities and cheers, stood for a moment on a bench calmly observing the mafficking," wrote the match reporter. Their achievement was an remarkable feat that it is hard to see being repeated – from Second Division to European stage in just three years."
Worth mentioning to consider Malmö, who became the initial and final Nordic team to reach the final under English manager Bob Houghton.
Tonight's game is a very different to that summit, closer perhaps to the Uefa Cup first-round tie between Forest and Malmö in 1995-96. Forest are riding high after beating Liverpool 3-0 at the famous ground on Saturday, while Malmö haven't kicked a competitive ball since 9 November following the end of the Swedish league season. The popular prediction is on the home team tonight.
Numerous other matches on offer in this match tracking. 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 precisely zero points. 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 latest scores from the previous games, including Villa vs Young Boys and Feyenoord v Celtic.
