Malmö vs Nottingham Forest, Rangers vs Braga, and Additional – UEFA Europa League Coverage
Live Updates
Important Updates
- Full-time: Young Boys 1-2 Aston Villa
- Goal scored!: Joël Monteiro scores for Young Boys at 90+1
- Game over: Celtic 3-1 Feyenoord
- Lineups announced: Starting players for Forest vs Malmö
- Starting players: Starting XI for Rangers vs Braga
- Preamble
Current Table
The initial outcomes greatly affect the Europa League table. The Glasgow side rose to 17th position and regained position in the secure knockout positions.
| Pos | Team | Matches | 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 |
Match Result: Villa 2-1 Young Boys
Aston Villa secured for the victory and went equal on points with table-toppers Midtjylland at the summit of the group rankings. The Birmingham club struggled of that at the end.
GOAL! Aston Villa 2-1 Young Boys (Joël Monteiro 90+1)
The Swiss side created a chance through Monteiro but were left with four more minutes to get the tying goal!
Celtic Secure Victory
A memorable and crucial win for the Celtic. Although they went 1-0 down, Celtic responded strongly with goals from the Korean forward, the Japanese midfielder and Benjamin Nygren.
Game Developments
The Birmingham side, concurrently, maintained a 2-0 lead over Young Boys with approximately five minutes left at the stadium.
The Dutch forward's brace there sparked furious scenes in the opposition stands, with Young Boys supporters engaging with police. Scuffles broke out and items launched at both the police and onto the pitch, with the player being struck in the head by a drinking vessel.
Lineups: Forest vs Malmö
The Reds: John Victor, Abbott, The center-back, Murillo, The full-back, The midfielder, The defensive midfielder, Dominguez, McAtee, Hudson-Odoi, Kalimuendo.
The Swedish side: The goalkeeper, Larsen, Jansson, Duric, Rosler, Haksabanovic, Johnsen, The midfielder, The attacker, The forward, Busanello.
Referee: Harm Osmers (from Germany)
Team News: Rangers v Braga
The Glasgow side: The goalkeeper, The defender, Fernandez, Djiga, Aarons, Barron, Diomande, Raskin, Gassama, Danilo, Chermiti.
The Arsenalistas: The goalkeeper, The defender, Lagerbielke, Niakate, Arrey-Mbi, Zalazar, The experienced midfielder, The midfielder, Martinez, Navarro, Horta.
Official: Lindhout (Holland)
Preamble
Forest vs Malmö and historical connections. The these sides have a historical link, also facing each other in Forest's most recent continental tour in the mid-90s European competition, but it is the continental championship decades past that connects these teams, with the record-breaking signing Francis scoring the winner of a largely forgettable match to secure historic victory for the the English club.
"Brian Clough and Peter Taylor, grey-sweatered and anonymous amid all the colour and celebration, stood for a moment on a bench serenely viewing the celebrations," wrote the match reporter. Their achievement was an remarkable feat that it is hard to see being repeated – from second tier to European stage in just three years."
One should note to pause a little on Malmö, who became the initial and final Nordic team to reach the final 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 the mid-nineties. Forest are riding high after beating Liverpool 3-0 at Liverpool's home on Saturday, while Malmö haven't played officially since 9 November following the completion of Allsvenskan. The general expectation is on the Forest tonight.
Plenty of other action on offer in this match tracking. The Scottish side have already been defeated by a Braga this season. Rangers are at the foot of the competition table at the midpoint of the group stage with no points whatsoever. They badly want a victory if they are to have any opportunity for a comeback for a qualification place.
Coverage will persist with all the evening matches and provide the current standings from the previous games, including Villa vs Young Boys and Rotterdam vs Glasgow.
