Malmö vs Nottingham Forest, Braga vs Rangers, and Additional – UEFA Europa League Coverage
Match Coverage
Important Updates
- Match ended: Villa 2-1 Young Boys
- Goal scored!: Joël Monteiro scores for Young Boys at 90+1
- Game over: Feyenoord defeated 1-3 by Celtic
- Starting XI: Starting players for Forest vs Malmö
- Team news: Rangers v Braga teams!
- Opening notes
League Position
The initial outcomes greatly affect the league rankings. The Glasgow side rose to the 17th spot and are back in the protected knockout positions.
| Position | Club | Played | 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 |
Full-time: Aston Villa 2-1 Young Boys
The English side clung on for the three points and became tied on points with leaders Midtjylland at the peak of the league phase standings. Villa struggled of that in the final stages.
Late Goal: Monteiro Scores
Young Boys earned a lifeline through Monteiro but only have stoppage time to find an equaliser!
Glasgow Side Wins 3-1
A significant and important win for the Glasgow side. Even after falling 1-0 down, Celtic fought back with goals from the Korean forward, Hatate and the Swedish striker.
Match Updates
The Birmingham side, meanwhile, held onto a 2-0 lead over Young Boys with roughly 300 seconds left at the stadium.
Malen's second goal there sparked furious scenes in the away end, with Swiss fans engaging with police. Scuffles broke out and projectiles hurled at both the officers and at the playing surface, with the goalscorer being hit on the head by a drinking vessel.
Starting XI Revealed
Forest: Victor, Abbott, Milenkovic, The defender, The full-back, Yates, The defensive midfielder, The midfielder, McAtee, Hudson-Odoi, Kalimuendo.
Malmö: Ellborg, Stryger Larsen, Jansson, The defender, Rosler, The midfielder, The midfielder, The midfielder, The attacker, Gudjohnsen, Busanello.
Match official: Harm Osmers (Germany)
Lineups: Rangers vs Braga
The Glasgow side: Butland, Tavernier, The center-back, Djiga, Aarons, Barron, Diomande, Raskin, The attacker, Danilo, The striker.
Braga: Hornicek, The defender, Lagerbielke, The defender, Arrey-Mbi, Zalazar, Joao Moutinho, Gorby, Martinez, The forward, The striker.
Match official: The Dutch referee (Holland)
Historical Context
Nottingham Forest v Malmö and historical connections. The these sides 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 European Cup final from 1979 that links these clubs, with Britain's first £1m player the English forward heading the only goal of a largely forgettable match to claim legendary status for the Forest supporters.
"Brian Clough and Peter Taylor, unassuming and low-key amid all the colour and celebration, stood for a moment on a bench serenely viewing the mafficking," commented the writer. This represented an remarkable feat that it is unlikely to be replicated – from Second Division to European football in just three years."
One should note to reflect upon Malmö, who became the first, and to date the last Scandinavian side to make the championship match under manager Houghton.
This match is a distant from that summit, closer perhaps to the Uefa Cup first-round tie between Forest and Malmö in that era. Forest are full of confidence after thrashing Liverpool at Liverpool's home on Saturday, while Malmö haven't kicked a competitive ball since early November following the completion of Allsvenskan. The general expectation is on the English side tonight.
Additional games on offer in this match tracking. The Glasgow club have already been beaten by a European rival this season. Rangers are at the foot of the league rankings at the half-way stage of the group stage with no points whatsoever. They desperately need a victory if they are to have any chance of achieving a late surge for a qualification place.
We'll keep you up to date with all the evening matches and provide the most recent results from the previous games, including Villa vs Young Boys and Feyenoord v Celtic.
