Nottingham Forest v Malmö, Braga vs Rangers, and Additional – UEFA Europa League News
Match Coverage
Important Updates
- Match ended: Aston Villa 2-1 Young Boys
- Goal scored!: Late goal from Monteiro makes it 2-1
- Full-time: Feyenoord 1-3 Celtic
- Starting XI: Nottingham Forest v Malmö teams!
- Lineups revealed: Rangers v Braga teams!
- Opening notes
Current Table
The opening scores have significant impact on the competition standings. The Glasgow side rose to 17th place and returned to the safety of playoff places.
| Pos | Club | P | Goal 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 |
Final Score: Aston Villa 2-1
Villa managed to hold on for the victory and moved level on points with leaders 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
Young Boys earned a lifeline through Monteiro but only have stoppage time to get the tying goal!
Celtic Secure Victory
A famous and valuable win for the Glasgow side. Even after falling 1-0 down, Celtic responded strongly with goals from Yang, Hatate and Benjamin Nygren.
Latest Action
The Birmingham side, meanwhile, held onto a 2-0 lead over Young Boys with approximately five minutes left at the stadium.
Malen's double there sparked furious scenes in the opposition stands, with visiting fans engaging with police. Physical altercations occurred and items launched at both the police and toward the field, with Malen himself being caught on the head by a plastic cup.
Starting XI Revealed
Nottingham Forest: John Victor, Abbott, The center-back, The defender, Morato, Yates, The defensive midfielder, Dominguez, McAtee, Hudson-Odoi, Kalimuendo.
Malmö FF: The goalkeeper, Stryger Larsen, The center-back, The defender, Rosler, Haksabanovic, The midfielder, The midfielder, The attacker, Gudjohnsen, The striker.
Match official: The German referee (German)
Starting Players
The Glasgow side: Butland, The defender, Fernandez, Djiga, Aarons, Barron, Diomande, Raskin, The attacker, Danilo, Chermiti.
Braga: Hornicek, The defender, Lagerbielke, The defender, The full-back, Zalazar, Joao Moutinho, Gorby, The attacker, Navarro, Ricardo Horta.
Official: Allard Lindhout (Netherlands)
Historical Context
The European clash and past encounters. The both teams have a unique relationship, also competing in Forest's previous European adventure in the mid-90s European competition, but it is the premier competition final decades past that links these clubs, with the record-breaking signing the English forward netting the decisive goal of a largely forgettable match to clinch eternal glory for the Forest supporters.
"Brian Clough and Peter Taylor, unassuming and low-key amid all the excitement and joy, stood for a moment on a bench calmly observing the celebrations," wrote the match reporter. This represented an outstanding achievement that it is difficult to imagine happening again – from Second Division to European stage in a short period."
It's also interesting to pause a little on Malmö, who became the initial and final Swedish club to reach the final under English manager Bob Houghton.
Tonight's game is a very different to that pinnacle, closer perhaps to the earlier European encounter between Forest and Malmö in that era. Forest are riding high after thrashing Liverpool at Liverpool's home on Saturday, while Malmö haven't kicked a competitive ball since 9 November following the completion of Allsvenskan. The smart money is on the English side tonight.
Plenty of other action on offer in this match tracking. The Scottish side have already been lost to a European rival this season. Rangers are last place of the league rankings at the midpoint of the league phase with no points whatsoever. They desperately need a victory if they are to have any opportunity for a late surge for a knockout position.
We'll keep you up to date with all nine of the 8pm kick-offs and provide the latest scores from the earlier matches, including Villa vs Young Boys and Feyenoord v Celtic.
