Malmö vs Nottingham Forest, Rangers vs Braga, and Additional – UEFA Europa League Coverage
Live Updates
Key Events
- Match ended: Villa 2-1 Young Boys
- Score!: Joël Monteiro scores for Young Boys at 90+1
- Full-time: Celtic 3-1 Feyenoord
- Lineups announced: Forest and Malmö lineups
- Starting players: Rangers v Braga teams!
- Introduction
League Position
The initial outcomes greatly affect the Europa League table. The Glasgow side rose to the 17th spot and returned to the secure knockout positions.
| Pos | Side | Played | GD | 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 |
Final Score: Aston Villa 2-1
Villa managed to hold on for the win and went equal on points with leaders Midtjylland at the top of the competition table. The English side struggled of that in the final stages.
Late Goal: Monteiro Scores
The Swiss side created a lifeline through Monteiro but were left with additional time to get the tying goal!
Glasgow Side Wins 3-1
A significant and important win for the Glasgow side. Although they went 1-0 down, Celtic responded strongly with goals from Yang Hyun-jun, the Japanese midfielder and the Swedish striker.
Latest Action
The Birmingham side, at the same time, maintained a 2-0 lead over Young Boys with approximately five minutes left at Villa Park.
Malen's double there triggered intense reactions in the visitors' section, with Young Boys supporters confronting police. Physical altercations occurred and items launched at both the officers and toward the field, with the goalscorer being hit on the head by a plastic cup.
Starting XI Revealed
The Reds: John Victor, Abbott, Milenkovic, Murillo, The full-back, Yates, Sangare, Dominguez, The attacker, The winger, The striker.
Malmö: Ellborg, The defender, The center-back, The defender, Rosler, The midfielder, Johnsen, Skogmar, Bolin, Gudjohnsen, Busanello.
Referee: Harm Osmers (Germany)
Team News: Rangers v Braga
The Light Blues: Butland, The defender, Fernandez, Djiga, Aarons, Barron, Diomande, Raskin, The attacker, Danilo, The striker.
The Arsenalistas: Hornicek, The defender, Lagerbielke, The defender, The full-back, The midfielder, Joao Moutinho, Gorby, Martinez, The forward, The striker.
Official: Allard Lindhout (Holland)
Match Background
Nottingham Forest v Malmö and past encounters. The both teams have a unique relationship, also competing in Forest's previous European adventure in the UEFA Cup of 1995-96, but it is the premier competition final 46 years ago that entwines these two together, with the groundbreaking transfer the English forward heading the only goal of a pretty miserable final to claim legendary status for the the English club.
"Brian Clough and Peter Taylor, unassuming and low-key amid all the colour and celebration, stood for a moment on a bench calmly observing the celebrations," noted the journalist. Theirs has been an outstanding achievement that it is unlikely to be replicated – from Second Division to European stage in just three years."
One should note to reflect upon Malmö, who became the pioneering and only Nordic team to make the championship match under manager Houghton.
Tonight's game is a very different to that pinnacle, closer perhaps to the Uefa Cup first-round tie between Forest and Malmö in the mid-nineties. Forest are full of confidence after thrashing Liverpool at the famous ground on Saturday, while Malmö have been inactive since 9 November following the end of the Swedish league season. The smart money is on the English side tonight.
Additional games on offer in this clockwatch. Rangers have already been lost to a European rival this season. Rangers are at the foot of the 36-team Europa League standings at the middle of the initial phase with exactly zero. They desperately need a victory if they are to have any chance of achieving a recovery for a qualification place.
Coverage will persist with all the evening matches and provide the current standings from the concluded fixtures, including Villa vs Young Boys and Rotterdam vs Glasgow.
