Nottingham Forest v Malmö, Rangers v Braga, and Additional – Europa League Coverage
Match Coverage
Major Moments
- Full-time: Aston Villa 2-1 Young Boys
- Score!: Late goal from Monteiro makes it 2-1
- Match concluded: Feyenoord 1-3 Celtic
- Team news: Starting players for Forest vs Malmö
- Starting players: Starting XI for Rangers vs Braga
- Introduction
Current Table
The initial outcomes greatly affect the competition standings. Celtic have moved up to 17th position and are back in the protected knockout positions.
| Pos | Club | Played | 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 |
Full-time: Aston Villa 2-1 Young Boys
Villa managed to hold on for the win and went equal on points with leaders Midtjylland at the summit of the league phase standings. The Birmingham club had difficulty of that during the closing minutes.
GOAL! Aston Villa 2-1 Young Boys (Joël Monteiro 90+1)
Young Boys gave themselves a hope through Monteiro but had just stoppage time to get the tying goal!
Full-time: Feyenoord 1-3 Celtic
A famous and valuable win for the Glasgow side. Even after falling 1-0 down, Celtic responded strongly with goals from Yang, Reo Hatate and Nygren.
Game Developments
The Birmingham side, concurrently, held onto a 2-0 lead over Young Boys with approximately five minutes left at Villa Park.
Malen's double there triggered intense reactions in the visitors' section, with Young Boys supporters confronting police. Punches were thrown and items launched at both the police and onto the pitch, with the goalscorer being struck in the head by a drinking vessel.
Lineups: Forest vs Malmö
Nottingham Forest: Victor, The defender, Milenkovic, Murillo, The full-back, Yates, Sangare, Dominguez, McAtee, The winger, Kalimuendo.
The Swedish side: Ellborg, The defender, The center-back, Duric, The full-back, Haksabanovic, The midfielder, Skogmar, Bolin, Gudjohnsen, The striker.
Referee: The German referee (from Germany)
Team News: Rangers v Braga
The Glasgow side: Butland, The defender, Fernandez, Djiga, The full-back, Barron, Diomande, The midfielder, Gassama, Danilo, Chermiti.
The Arsenalistas: Hornicek, Gomez, Lagerbielke, Niakate, Arrey-Mbi, Zalazar, Moutinho, Gorby, Martinez, Navarro, Ricardo Horta.
Match official: Allard Lindhout (Netherlands)
Preamble
Nottingham Forest v Malmö and memories of 1979. The two clubs have a historical link, also competing in Forest's last European campaign in the 1995-96 Uefa Cup, but it is the premier competition final from 1979 that connects these teams, with Britain's first £1m player Francis heading the only goal of a largely forgettable match to clinch eternal glory for the Forest supporters.
"The legendary management duo, unassuming and low-key amid all the colour and celebration, stood for a moment on a bench serenely viewing the mafficking," wrote the match reporter. Theirs has been an remarkable feat that it is unlikely to be replicated – from the lower league to European football in a short period."
It's also interesting to consider 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 distant from that pinnacle, closer perhaps to the earlier European encounter between Forest and Malmö in that era. Forest are full of confidence after thrashing Liverpool at Liverpool's home on Saturday, while Malmö have been inactive since 9 November following the end of the Swedish league season. The general expectation is on the Forest tonight.
Additional games on offer in this live coverage. The Glasgow club have already been defeated by a Portuguese opponent this season. Rangers are rock bottom of the competition table at the middle of the group stage with precisely zero points. They urgently require a victory if they are to have any chance of achieving a comeback for a qualification place.
Updates will continue with all nine of the 8pm kick-offs and provide the most recent results from the previous games, including Aston Villa v Young Boys and Feyenoord v Celtic.
