Malmö vs Nottingham Forest, Rangers vs Braga, and Additional – UEFA Europa League Updates
Match Coverage
Major Moments
- Full-time: Aston Villa 2-1 Young Boys
- GOAL!: Joël Monteiro scores for Young Boys at 90+1
- Match concluded: Feyenoord defeated 1-3 by Celtic
- Lineups announced: Starting players for Forest vs Malmö
- Lineups revealed: Rangers and Braga lineups
- Preamble
Latest Standings
These early results greatly affect the league rankings. The Glasgow side rose to 17th place and returned to the safety of playoff places.
| Position | Side | 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
Villa managed to hold on for the win and went equal on points with front-runners Midtjylland at the peak of the league phase standings. Villa struggled of that at the end.
90+1: Monteiro Pulls One Back
Young Boys earned a lifeline through Monteiro but were left with additional time to score the leveler!
Full-time: Feyenoord 1-3 Celtic
A significant and important win for the Celtic. Despite going 1-0 down, Celtic responded strongly with goals from the Korean forward, the Japanese midfielder and Benjamin Nygren.
Match Updates
Villa, concurrently, held onto a 2-0 lead over Young Boys with around five minutes left at the stadium.
Malen's double there caused dramatic events in the opposition stands, with Swiss fans clashing with police. Physical altercations occurred and items launched at both the officers and toward the field, with the player being hit on the head by a drinking vessel.
Team News: Nottingham Forest v Malmö
The Reds: Victor, Abbott, The center-back, Murillo, Morato, The midfielder, Sangare, The midfielder, McAtee, Hudson-Odoi, The striker.
Malmö: The goalkeeper, Stryger Larsen, Jansson, Duric, The full-back, Haksabanovic, The midfielder, The midfielder, Bolin, The forward, Busanello.
Referee: Osmers (from Germany)
Starting Players
The Glasgow side: The goalkeeper, The defender, The center-back, Djiga, Aarons, The midfielder, Diomande, The midfielder, Gassama, Danilo, Chermiti.
The Arsenalistas: Hornicek, Gomez, Lagerbielke, Niakate, The full-back, Zalazar, Joao Moutinho, Gorby, Martinez, Navarro, The striker.
Match official: Lindhout (Holland)
Historical Context
The European clash and historical connections. The two clubs have a unique relationship, also competing in Forest's most recent continental tour in the UEFA Cup of 1995-96, but it is the continental championship from 1979 that links these clubs, with the groundbreaking transfer Francis scoring the winner of a largely forgettable match to claim legendary status for the red half of Nottingham.
"Forest's famous bosses, grey-sweatered and anonymous amid all the colour and celebration, stood for a moment on a bench quietly watching the mafficking," commented the writer. Their achievement was an extraordinary accomplishment that it is difficult to imagine happening again – from second tier to European football in a short period."
It's also interesting to reflect upon Malmö, who became the initial and final Swedish club to reach the final under manager Houghton.
The current fixture is a far cry from that pinnacle, closer perhaps to the earlier European encounter between Forest and Malmö in 1995-96. Forest are full of confidence after beating Liverpool 3-0 at Liverpool's home on Saturday, while Malmö haven't played officially since early November following the completion of Allsvenskan. The smart money is on the English side tonight.
Plenty of other action on offer in this clockwatch. Rangers have already been beaten by a Portuguese opponent this season. Rangers are at the foot of the league rankings at the midpoint of the group stage with exactly zero. They desperately need a victory if they are to have any opportunity for a late surge for a playoff spot.
Updates will continue with all nine of the 8pm kick-offs and provide the current standings from the previous games, including Villa vs Young Boys and Rotterdam vs Glasgow.
