Nottingham Forest v Malmö, Rangers vs Braga, and More – UEFA Europa League Coverage
Match Coverage
Key Events
- Full-time: Villa 2-1 Young Boys
- Goal scored!: Late goal from Monteiro makes it 2-1
- Match concluded: Feyenoord defeated 1-3 by Celtic
- Team news: Starting players for Forest vs Malmö
- Team news: Starting XI for Rangers vs Braga
- Opening notes
League Position
The initial outcomes strongly influence the league rankings. The Glasgow side rose to the 17th spot and are back in the secure qualification spots.
| Pos | Team | Matches | Difference | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 win and went equal on points with table-toppers Midtjylland at the summit of the group rankings. The Birmingham club made hard work of that in the final stages.
GOAL! Aston Villa 2-1 Young Boys (Joël Monteiro 90+1)
Young Boys earned a lifeline through Monteiro but had just four more minutes to score the leveler!
Celtic Secure Victory
A significant and important win for the Glasgow side. Although they went 1-0 down, Celtic fought back with goals from Yang, Reo Hatate and the Swedish striker.
Game Developments
The Birmingham side, meanwhile, maintained a 2-0 lead over Young Boys with around five minutes left at Villa Park.
Malen's double there caused dramatic events in the visitors' section, with Swiss fans clashing with police. Scuffles broke out and objects thrown at both the police and toward the field, with Malen himself being hit on the head by a plastic cup.
Starting XI Revealed
The Reds: Victor, Abbott, The center-back, Murillo, Morato, The midfielder, Sangare, The midfielder, McAtee, Hudson-Odoi, The striker.
Malmö FF: Ellborg, The defender, Jansson, Duric, The full-back, Haksabanovic, Johnsen, Skogmar, Bolin, Gudjohnsen, Busanello.
Referee: Harm Osmers (Germany)
Lineups: Rangers vs Braga
The Glasgow side: Butland, Tavernier, Fernandez, The defender, Aarons, The midfielder, The midfielder, The midfielder, The attacker, Danilo, The striker.
The Portuguese side: Hornicek, Gomez, The center-back, The defender, The full-back, Zalazar, Joao Moutinho, Gorby, Martinez, The forward, Ricardo Horta.
Match official: The Dutch referee (from Netherlands)
Match Background
Nottingham Forest v Malmö and historical connections. The these sides have a unique relationship, also meeting in Forest's most recent continental tour in the mid-90s European competition, but it is the European Cup final 46 years ago that links these clubs, with Britain's first £1m player Francis netting the decisive goal of a rather dull championship game to claim legendary status for the red half of Nottingham.
"Forest's famous bosses, modestly dressed amid all the excitement and joy, stood for a moment on a bench calmly observing the mafficking," noted the journalist. Theirs has been an extraordinary accomplishment that it is hard to see being repeated – from the lower league to European football in three seasons."
One should note to consider Malmö, who became the pioneering and only Scandinavian side to advance to the ultimate game under British coach Houghton.
Tonight's game is a distant from that pinnacle, closer perhaps to the previous continental meeting between Forest and Malmö in 1995-96. Forest are full of confidence after thrashing Liverpool at the famous ground on Saturday, while Malmö haven't kicked a competitive ball since 9 November following the conclusion of their domestic campaign. The smart money is on the English side tonight.
Additional games on offer in this clockwatch. The Scottish side have already been beaten by a Braga this season. Rangers are rock bottom of the league rankings at the half-way stage of the league phase with precisely zero points. They badly want a victory if they are to have any chance of achieving a late surge for a qualification place.
Updates will continue with all the evening matches and provide the most recent results from the previous games, including Aston Villa v Young Boys and the Dutch-Scottish clash.
