Nottingham Forest v Malmö, Braga vs Rangers, and Additional – Europa League Coverage
Live Updates
Important Updates
- Final whistle: Aston Villa 2-1 Young Boys
- GOAL!: Aston Villa 2-1 Young Boys (Joël Monteiro 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 strongly influence the competition standings. The Glasgow side rose to the 17th spot and are back in the secure playoff places.
| Rank | Team | P | 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
Aston Villa secured for the win and went equal on points with front-runners Midtjylland at the peak of the competition table. The English side struggled of that at the end.
Late Goal: Monteiro Scores
Young Boys earned a lifeline through Monteiro but had just four more minutes to get the tying goal!
Glasgow Side Wins 3-1
A memorable and crucial win for the Glasgow side. Although they went 1-0 down, Celtic fought back with goals from the Korean forward, Reo Hatate and the Swedish striker.
Game Developments
Villa, meanwhile, maintained a 2-0 lead over Young Boys with roughly 300 seconds left at Villa Park.
The Dutch forward's brace there sparked furious scenes in the visitors' section, with visiting fans engaging with police. Punches were thrown and items launched at both the officers and onto the pitch, with the goalscorer being struck in the head by a drinking vessel.
Starting XI Revealed
The Reds: Victor, Abbott, The center-back, Murillo, The full-back, The midfielder, Sangare, The midfielder, The attacker, Hudson-Odoi, Kalimuendo.
Malmö: Ellborg, The defender, Jansson, The defender, The full-back, Haksabanovic, Johnsen, Skogmar, Bolin, The forward, The striker.
Official: The German referee (German)
Starting Players
The Glasgow side: The goalkeeper, The defender, Fernandez, Djiga, Aarons, The midfielder, Diomande, The midfielder, Gassama, Danilo, Chermiti.
Braga: Hornicek, The defender, Lagerbielke, The defender, The full-back, Zalazar, Moutinho, Gorby, Martinez, Navarro, Ricardo Horta.
Official: Lindhout (Holland)
Match Background
Nottingham Forest v Malmö and past encounters. The both teams have a historical link, also competing in Forest's previous European adventure in the 1995-96 Uefa Cup, but it is the continental championship decades past that links these clubs, with the record-breaking signing Trevor Francis scoring the winner of a largely forgettable match to clinch eternal glory for the Forest supporters.
"The legendary management duo, modestly dressed amid all the excitement and joy, stood for a moment on a bench calmly observing the revelry," wrote the match reporter. This represented an outstanding achievement that it is unlikely to be replicated – from Second Division to European stage in a short period."
One should note to pause a little on Malmö, who became the first, and to date the last Nordic team to reach the final under English manager Bob Houghton.
The current fixture is a distant from that peak, closer perhaps to the previous continental meeting between Forest and Malmö in 1995-96. Forest are full of confidence after defeating Liverpool convincingly at the famous ground on Saturday, while Malmö have been inactive since early November following the end of the Swedish league season. The popular prediction is on the Forest tonight.
Plenty of other action on offer in this live coverage. Rangers 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 league phase with no points whatsoever. They urgently require a victory if they are to have any hope of making a late surge for a qualification place.
Coverage will persist with all nine of the 8pm kick-offs and provide the current standings from the previous games, including Aston Villa v Young Boys and the Dutch-Scottish clash.
