Forest vs Malmö, Rangers vs Braga, and More – Europa League Updates
Match Coverage
Major Moments
- Final whistle: Aston Villa 2-1 Young Boys
- Score!: Late goal from Monteiro makes it 2-1
- Game over: Celtic 3-1 Feyenoord
- Team news: Starting players for Forest vs Malmö
- Starting players: Rangers and Braga lineups
- Opening notes
Latest Standings
The initial outcomes greatly affect the Europa League table. Celtic climbed to the 17th spot and regained position in the secure knockout positions.
| Pos | Side | Matches | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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
Villa managed to hold on for the three points and went equal on points with table-toppers Midtjylland at the peak of the league phase standings. Villa had difficulty of that during the closing minutes.
GOAL! Aston Villa 2-1 Young Boys (Joël Monteiro 90+1)
The Swiss side created a lifeline through Monteiro but only have additional time to get the tying goal!
Celtic Secure Victory
A significant and important win for the Scottish team. Despite going 1-0 down, Celtic fought back with goals from the Korean forward, Hatate and Benjamin Nygren.
Latest Action
Aston Villa, meanwhile, held onto a 2-0 lead over Young Boys with around five minutes left at Villa Park.
Malen's double there caused dramatic events in the opposition stands, with visiting fans engaging with police. Physical altercations occurred and objects thrown at both the police and onto the pitch, with the player being hit on the head by a drinking vessel.
Lineups: Forest vs Malmö
Forest: John Victor, Abbott, Milenkovic, The defender, Morato, Yates, Sangare, Dominguez, The attacker, Hudson-Odoi, Kalimuendo.
Malmö FF: Ellborg, Stryger Larsen, Jansson, Duric, Rosler, The midfielder, Johnsen, The midfielder, Bolin, Gudjohnsen, Busanello.
Referee: Harm Osmers (from Germany)
Lineups: Rangers vs Braga
The Glasgow side: Butland, Tavernier, Fernandez, The defender, Aarons, The midfielder, Diomande, The midfielder, Gassama, Danilo, Chermiti.
The Portuguese side: Hornicek, Gomez, Lagerbielke, The defender, The full-back, Zalazar, Moutinho, Gorby, Martinez, Navarro, The striker.
Referee: Allard Lindhout (Netherlands)
Historical Context
Nottingham Forest v Malmö and memories of 1979. The two clubs have a unique relationship, also facing each other in Forest's last European campaign in the UEFA Cup of 1995-96, but it is the premier competition final 46 years ago that connects these teams, with the record-breaking signing the English forward scoring the winner of a largely forgettable match to claim legendary status for the the English club.
"Forest's famous bosses, unassuming and low-key amid all the festivities and cheers, stood for a moment on a bench serenely viewing the celebrations," noted the journalist. Theirs has been an outstanding achievement that it is difficult to imagine happening again – from Second Division to European football in three seasons."
Worth mentioning to reflect upon Malmö, who became the pioneering and only Nordic team to make the championship match under English manager Bob Houghton.
The current fixture is a very different to that peak, closer perhaps to the earlier European encounter between Forest and Malmö in that era. Forest are absolutely buzzing after beating Liverpool 3-0 at Anfield on Saturday, while Malmö haven't played officially since early 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 live coverage. The Scottish side have already been lost to a European rival this season. Rangers are rock bottom of the league rankings at the middle of the initial phase with no points whatsoever. They urgently require a victory if they are to have any hope of making a late surge for a playoff spot.
Updates will continue with all the late games and provide the most recent results from the previous games, including Villa vs Young Boys and Feyenoord v Celtic.
