Nottingham Forest v Malmö, Braga vs Rangers, and More – UEFA Europa League Updates
Match Coverage
Key Events
- Full-time: Young Boys 1-2 Aston Villa
- GOAL!: Late goal from Monteiro makes it 2-1
- Full-time: Feyenoord defeated 1-3 by Celtic
- Lineups announced: Starting players for Forest vs Malmö
- Starting players: Starting XI for Rangers vs Braga
- Introduction
League Position
The initial outcomes strongly influence the competition standings. The Glasgow side rose to 17th place and regained position in the safety of qualification spots.
| Pos | Team | P | 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 moved level on points with front-runners Midtjylland at the top of the league phase standings. Villa made hard work of that during the closing minutes.
90+1: Monteiro Pulls One Back
The Swiss side created a chance through Monteiro but were left with four more minutes to find an equaliser!
Full-time: Feyenoord 1-3 Celtic
A significant and important win for the Scottish team. Despite going 1-0 down, Celtic fought back with goals from the Korean forward, Reo Hatate and Nygren.
Match Updates
The Birmingham side, at the same time, held onto a 2-0 lead over Young Boys with around five minutes left at Villa Park.
Malen's double there triggered intense reactions in the visitors' section, with Swiss fans clashing with police. Physical altercations occurred and projectiles hurled at both the police and toward the field, with the player being struck in the head by a plastic cup.
Lineups: Forest vs Malmö
The Reds: Victor, Abbott, Milenkovic, Murillo, Morato, Yates, Sangare, Dominguez, The attacker, The winger, Kalimuendo.
The Swedish side: Ellborg, The defender, The center-back, Duric, Rosler, Haksabanovic, Johnsen, Skogmar, Bolin, The forward, Busanello.
Referee: The German referee (from Germany)
Team News: Rangers v Braga
The Light Blues: Butland, Tavernier, Fernandez, The defender, Aarons, The midfielder, Diomande, Raskin, Gassama, The forward, Chermiti.
The Arsenalistas: The goalkeeper, Gomez, Lagerbielke, Niakate, Arrey-Mbi, The midfielder, The experienced midfielder, Gorby, Martinez, Navarro, Ricardo Horta.
Official: The Dutch referee (from Netherlands)
Historical Context
Nottingham Forest v Malmö and historical connections. The both teams have a historical link, also competing in Forest's last European campaign in the UEFA Cup of 1995-96, but it is the premier competition final decades past that links these clubs, with the record-breaking signing Trevor Francis heading the only goal of a pretty miserable final to clinch eternal glory for the Forest supporters.
"Forest's famous bosses, unassuming and low-key amid all the colour and celebration, stood for a moment on a bench quietly watching the revelry," noted the journalist. This represented an extraordinary accomplishment that it is unlikely to be replicated – from Second Division to European stage in three seasons."
It's also interesting to consider Malmö, who became the pioneering and only Scandinavian side to make the championship match under manager Houghton.
This match is a distant from that peak, closer perhaps to the earlier European encounter between Forest and Malmö in 1995-96. Forest are riding high after thrashing Liverpool at the famous ground on Saturday, while Malmö haven't kicked a competitive ball since 9 November following the conclusion of their domestic campaign. The general expectation is on the English side tonight.
Plenty of other action on offer in this clockwatch. The Scottish side have already been defeated by a Portuguese opponent this season. Rangers are last place of the league rankings at the half-way stage of the group stage with precisely zero points. They urgently require a victory if they are to have any hope of making a comeback for a playoff spot.
We'll keep you up to date with all the late games and provide the most recent results from the concluded fixtures, including Aston Villa v Young Boys and Rotterdam vs Glasgow.
