Forest vs Malmö, Rangers v Braga, and More – Europa League News
Match Coverage
Major Moments
- Match ended: Aston Villa 2-1 Young Boys
- Score!: Aston Villa 2-1 Young Boys (Joël Monteiro 90+1)
- Match concluded: Feyenoord 1-3 Celtic
- Team news: Starting players for Forest vs Malmö
- Starting players: Rangers and Braga lineups
- Introduction
Latest Standings
The initial outcomes have significant impact on the league rankings. The Glasgow side rose to 17th position and returned to the secure qualification spots.
| Pos | Club | Matches | 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 |
Final Score: Aston Villa 2-1
Aston Villa secured for the win and went equal on points with leaders Midtjylland at the top of the competition table. Villa made hard work of that in the final stages.
GOAL! Aston Villa 2-1 Young Boys (Joël Monteiro 90+1)
The Swiss side created a chance through Monteiro but only have stoppage time to find an equaliser!
Glasgow Side Wins 3-1
A memorable and crucial win for the Glasgow side. Even after falling 1-0 down, Celtic roared back with goals from Yang, Hatate and the Swedish striker.
Latest Action
Villa, 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 Young Boys supporters engaging with police. Punches were thrown and projectiles hurled at both the authorities and at the playing surface, with Malen himself being caught on the head by a throwable object.
Team News: Nottingham Forest v Malmö
The Reds: Victor, Abbott, The center-back, Murillo, The full-back, The midfielder, Sangare, The midfielder, The attacker, Hudson-Odoi, Kalimuendo.
The Swedish side: Ellborg, The defender, Jansson, The defender, Rosler, Haksabanovic, Johnsen, Skogmar, Bolin, Gudjohnsen, Busanello.
Match official: The German referee (from Germany)
Starting Players
Rangers: The goalkeeper, Tavernier, Fernandez, Djiga, The full-back, Barron, Diomande, Raskin, Gassama, The forward, Chermiti.
Braga: Hornicek, Gomez, Lagerbielke, Niakate, Arrey-Mbi, The midfielder, Joao Moutinho, Gorby, Martinez, Navarro, Ricardo Horta.
Official: Lindhout (from Netherlands)
Historical Context
Nottingham Forest v Malmö and historical connections. The both teams have a unique relationship, also facing each other in Forest's last European campaign in the 1995-96 Uefa Cup, but it is the continental championship 46 years ago that entwines these two together, with the groundbreaking transfer the English forward netting the decisive goal of a rather dull championship game to clinch eternal glory for the the English club.
"Forest's famous bosses, grey-sweatered and anonymous amid all the excitement and joy, stood for a moment on a bench quietly watching the mafficking," wrote the match reporter. Their achievement was an remarkable feat that it is difficult to imagine happening again – from second tier to European stage in three seasons."
Worth mentioning to consider Malmö, who became the initial and final Scandinavian side to make the championship match under manager Houghton.
Tonight's game is a far cry from that peak, closer perhaps to the Uefa Cup first-round tie between Forest and Malmö in 1995-96. Forest are riding high after beating Liverpool 3-0 at Anfield on Saturday, while Malmö haven't played officially since 9 November following the end of the Swedish league season. The smart money is on the home team tonight.
Numerous other matches on offer in this clockwatch. The Glasgow club have already been beaten by a Braga this season. Rangers are at the foot of the 36-team Europa League standings at the midpoint of the initial phase with no points whatsoever. They desperately need a victory if they are to have any hope of making a comeback for a knockout position.
We'll keep you up to date with all nine of the 8pm kick-offs and provide the most recent results from the earlier matches, including Aston Villa v Young Boys and Feyenoord v Celtic.
