Forest vs Malmö, Rangers vs Braga, and Additional – UEFA Europa League Coverage
Match Coverage
Major Moments
- Full-time: Aston Villa 2-1 Young Boys
- GOAL!: Aston Villa 2-1 Young Boys (Joël Monteiro 90+1)
- Full-time: Feyenoord defeated 1-3 by Celtic
- Lineups announced: Nottingham Forest v Malmö teams!
- Starting players: Rangers v Braga teams!
- Introduction
Latest Standings
The initial outcomes strongly influence the competition standings. Celtic climbed to the 17th spot and regained position in the protected knockout positions.
| Pos | Team | Matches | Goal 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
Villa managed to hold on for the victory and became tied on points with leaders Midtjylland at the peak of the competition table. The Birmingham club had difficulty of that at the end.
GOAL! Aston Villa 2-1 Young Boys (Joël Monteiro 90+1)
Young Boys gave themselves a lifeline through Monteiro but were left with stoppage time to score the leveler!
Celtic Secure Victory
A memorable and crucial win for the Glasgow side. Although they went 1-0 down, Celtic roared back with goals from Yang, the Japanese midfielder and Benjamin Nygren.
Match Updates
The Birmingham side, at the same time, retained a 2-0 lead over Young Boys with around five minutes left at their home ground.
Malen's double there triggered intense reactions in the opposition stands, with Young Boys supporters clashing with police. Physical altercations occurred and items launched at both the officers and at the playing surface, with the player being hit on the head by a drinking vessel.
Starting XI Revealed
Forest: Victor, The defender, Milenkovic, Murillo, Morato, The midfielder, Sangare, The midfielder, McAtee, The winger, The striker.
Malmö FF: Ellborg, Larsen, Jansson, Duric, Rosler, Haksabanovic, The midfielder, Skogmar, Bolin, Gudjohnsen, Busanello.
Referee: Osmers (Germany)
Starting Players
Rangers: The goalkeeper, Tavernier, Fernandez, The defender, Aarons, The midfielder, Diomande, Raskin, Gassama, Danilo, Chermiti.
Braga: Hornicek, The defender, Lagerbielke, Niakate, Arrey-Mbi, Zalazar, The experienced midfielder, The midfielder, Martinez, The forward, The striker.
Match official: Lindhout (Netherlands)
Historical Context
The European clash and historical connections. The these sides have a unique relationship, also competing in Forest's most recent continental tour in the mid-90s European competition, but it is the premier competition final decades past that connects these teams, with Britain's first £1m player Francis netting the decisive goal of a rather dull championship game to clinch eternal glory for the Forest supporters.
"Forest's famous bosses, unassuming and low-key amid all the festivities and cheers, stood for a moment on a bench calmly observing the celebrations," wrote the match reporter. This represented an extraordinary accomplishment that it is hard to see being repeated – from second tier to European football in a short period."
One should note to reflect upon Malmö, who became the first, and to date the last Scandinavian side to make the championship match under English manager Bob Houghton.
The current fixture is a distant from that summit, closer perhaps to the previous continental meeting between Forest and Malmö in that era. Forest are full of confidence after beating Liverpool 3-0 at the famous ground on Saturday, while Malmö haven't kicked a competitive ball since 9 November following the completion of Allsvenskan. The popular prediction is on the home team tonight.
Numerous other matches on offer in this clockwatch. The Glasgow club have already been beaten by a European rival this season. Rangers are last place of the competition table at the half-way stage of the initial phase with no points whatsoever. They urgently require a victory if they are to have any opportunity for a comeback for a knockout position.
Updates will continue with all nine of the 8pm kick-offs and provide the latest scores from the earlier matches, including Aston Villa v Young Boys and the Dutch-Scottish clash.
