Forest vs Malmö, Rangers v Braga, and More – Europa League Updates
Match Coverage
Key Events
- Final whistle: Young Boys 1-2 Aston Villa
- Goal scored!: Late goal from Monteiro makes it 2-1
- Full-time: Celtic 3-1 Feyenoord
- Team news: Starting players for Forest vs Malmö
- Starting players: Rangers and Braga lineups
- Introduction
Latest Standings
The opening scores have significant impact on the league rankings. Celtic climbed to the 17th spot and regained position in the secure knockout positions.
| Position | Club | P | GD | 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
Aston Villa secured for the win and went equal on points with table-toppers Midtjylland at the summit of the league phase standings. The English side made hard work of that during the closing minutes.
Late Goal: Monteiro Scores
Young Boys gave themselves a chance through Monteiro but only have stoppage time to get the tying goal!
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 Yang, Reo Hatate and Nygren.
Match Updates
Aston Villa, concurrently, maintained a 2-0 lead over Young Boys with approximately five minutes left at Villa Park.
Malen's second goal there sparked furious scenes in the away end, with visiting fans engaging with police. Physical altercations occurred and items launched at both the police and at the playing surface, with Malen himself being caught on the head by a plastic cup.
Team News: Nottingham Forest v Malmö
Nottingham Forest: The goalkeeper, The defender, Milenkovic, Murillo, Morato, Yates, The defensive midfielder, Dominguez, The attacker, The winger, The striker.
Malmö FF: Ellborg, Stryger Larsen, Jansson, The defender, Rosler, Haksabanovic, Johnsen, The midfielder, The attacker, Gudjohnsen, Busanello.
Referee: Osmers (Germany)
Lineups: Rangers vs Braga
Rangers: The goalkeeper, The defender, Fernandez, The defender, Aarons, The midfielder, Diomande, The midfielder, Gassama, Danilo, Chermiti.
The Portuguese side: Hornicek, Gomez, The center-back, Niakate, Arrey-Mbi, The midfielder, The experienced midfielder, The midfielder, Martinez, The forward, Horta.
Match official: The Dutch referee (Holland)
Match Background
Forest vs Malmö and historical connections. The two clubs have a historical link, also competing in Forest's previous European adventure in the UEFA Cup of 1995-96, but it is the premier competition final from 1979 that connects these teams, with the record-breaking signing Francis heading the only goal of a largely forgettable match to clinch eternal glory for the the English club.
"Forest's famous bosses, modestly dressed amid all the colour and celebration, stood for a moment on a bench calmly observing the mafficking," noted the journalist. This represented an extraordinary accomplishment that it is difficult to imagine happening again – from Second Division to European football in three seasons."
It's also interesting to reflect upon Malmö, who became the first, and to date the last Swedish club to advance to the ultimate game under English manager Bob Houghton.
The current fixture is a far cry from that peak, closer perhaps to the earlier European encounter between Forest and Malmö in that era. Forest are absolutely buzzing after defeating Liverpool convincingly at Liverpool's home on Saturday, while Malmö haven't kicked a competitive ball since 9 November following the conclusion of their domestic campaign. The popular prediction is on the English side tonight.
Additional games on offer in this match tracking. The Scottish side have already been beaten by a European rival this season. Rangers are at the foot of the league rankings at the midpoint of the initial phase with precisely zero points. They desperately need a victory if they are to have any opportunity for a recovery for a qualification place.
Updates will continue with all nine of the 8pm kick-offs and provide the current standings from the earlier matches, including Villa vs Young Boys and the Dutch-Scottish clash.
