Forest vs Malmö, Braga vs Rangers, and More – Europa League Updates
Match Coverage
Major Moments
- Full-time: Aston Villa 2-1 Young Boys
- Goal scored!: Joël Monteiro scores for Young Boys at 90+1
- Full-time: Feyenoord 1-3 Celtic
- Team news: Forest and Malmö lineups
- Lineups revealed: Rangers v Braga teams!
- Preamble
League Position
The initial outcomes greatly affect the league rankings. Celtic climbed to 17th place and returned to the secure knockout positions.
| Rank | Side | Matches | Goal Difference | 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
Aston Villa secured for the victory and became tied on points with front-runners Midtjylland at the top of the league phase standings. The English side struggled of that in the final stages.
90+1: Monteiro Pulls One Back
Young Boys gave themselves a hope through Monteiro but only have stoppage time to find an equaliser!
Glasgow Side Wins 3-1
A significant and important win for the Scottish team. Even after falling 1-0 down, Celtic fought back with goals from Yang, the Japanese midfielder and Nygren.
Game Developments
The Birmingham side, meanwhile, maintained a 2-0 lead over Young Boys with approximately five minutes left at their home ground.
Malen's second goal there triggered intense reactions in the away end, with visiting fans engaging with police. Physical altercations occurred and items launched at both the officers and onto the pitch, with the goalscorer being caught on the head by a plastic cup.
Team News: Nottingham Forest v Malmö
Forest: Victor, The defender, Milenkovic, Murillo, The full-back, The midfielder, Sangare, Dominguez, The attacker, Hudson-Odoi, Kalimuendo.
Malmö FF: Ellborg, Stryger Larsen, Jansson, Duric, Rosler, The midfielder, Johnsen, The midfielder, Bolin, The forward, The striker.
Match official: The German referee (from Germany)
Team News: Rangers v Braga
The Light Blues: Butland, Tavernier, The center-back, Djiga, The full-back, The midfielder, Diomande, The midfielder, Gassama, Danilo, Chermiti.
Braga: Hornicek, Gomez, Lagerbielke, The defender, The full-back, Zalazar, Joao Moutinho, Gorby, Martinez, Navarro, Horta.
Match official: Lindhout (Holland)
Historical Context
The European clash and historical connections. The both teams have a historical link, also meeting in Forest's most recent continental tour in the 1995-96 Uefa Cup, but it is the premier competition final from 1979 that links these clubs, with Britain's first £1m player Francis netting the decisive goal of a pretty miserable final to clinch eternal glory for the the English club.
"Forest's famous bosses, unassuming and low-key amid all the excitement and joy, stood for a moment on a bench quietly watching the celebrations," commented the writer. This represented an outstanding achievement that it is unlikely to be replicated – from second tier to European stage in a short period."
One should note to reflect upon Malmö, who became the first, and to date the last Swedish club to reach the final under manager Houghton.
Tonight's game is a far cry from that pinnacle, closer perhaps to the earlier European encounter between Forest and Malmö in that era. Forest are riding high after defeating Liverpool convincingly at Anfield on Saturday, while Malmö haven't played officially since early November following the end of the Swedish league season. The popular prediction is on the home team tonight.
Additional games on offer in this live coverage. The Glasgow club have already been beaten by a Braga this season. Rangers are rock bottom of the competition table at the middle of the league phase with precisely zero points. They badly want a victory if they are to have any chance of achieving a comeback for a knockout position.
We'll keep you up to date with all nine of the 8pm kick-offs and provide the current standings from the previous games, including the Birmingham match and the Dutch-Scottish clash.
