Malmö vs Nottingham Forest, Rangers vs Braga, and More – UEFA Europa League Coverage
Live Updates
Important Updates
- Final whistle: Young Boys 1-2 Aston Villa
- Goal scored!: Aston Villa 2-1 Young Boys (Joël Monteiro 90+1)
- Full-time: Celtic 3-1 Feyenoord
- Team news: Starting players for Forest vs Malmö
- Lineups revealed: Starting XI for Rangers vs Braga
- Preamble
Current Table
These early results greatly affect the competition standings. Celtic have moved up to the 17th spot and regained position in the protected knockout positions.
| Pos | Side | P | Difference | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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
The English side clung on for the three points and became tied on points with front-runners Midtjylland at the summit of the league phase standings. The English side had difficulty of that at the end.
Late Goal: Monteiro Scores
Young Boys gave themselves a lifeline through Monteiro but had just additional time to find an equaliser!
Celtic Secure Victory
A memorable and crucial win for the Celtic. Although they went 1-0 down, Celtic roared back with goals from Yang Hyun-jun, Hatate and Benjamin Nygren.
Game Developments
Aston Villa, at the same time, held onto a 2-0 lead over Young Boys with approximately five minutes left at their home ground.
The Dutch forward's brace there sparked furious scenes in the opposition stands, with visiting fans confronting police. Physical altercations occurred and items launched at both the authorities and toward the field, with the player being struck in the head by a drinking vessel.
Starting XI Revealed
Nottingham Forest: Victor, The defender, The center-back, Murillo, Morato, Yates, Sangare, The midfielder, McAtee, Hudson-Odoi, The striker.
Malmö FF: Ellborg, The defender, The center-back, The defender, Rosler, Haksabanovic, Johnsen, Skogmar, Bolin, Gudjohnsen, Busanello.
Match official: Osmers (Germany)
Team News: Rangers v Braga
The Glasgow side: The goalkeeper, Tavernier, Fernandez, Djiga, Aarons, Barron, The midfielder, The midfielder, Gassama, The forward, The striker.
The Arsenalistas: The goalkeeper, Gomez, The center-back, Niakate, Arrey-Mbi, Zalazar, Joao Moutinho, Gorby, Martinez, Navarro, Ricardo Horta.
Referee: Allard Lindhout (Holland)
Historical Context
Forest vs Malmö and historical connections. The two clubs have a historical link, also facing each other in Forest's last European campaign in the UEFA Cup of 1995-96, but it is the premier competition final 46 years ago that links these clubs, with the record-breaking signing Francis heading the only goal of a rather dull championship game to claim legendary status for the red half of Nottingham.
"Forest's famous bosses, unassuming and low-key amid all the festivities and cheers, stood for a moment on a bench quietly watching the celebrations," wrote the match reporter. This represented an outstanding achievement that it is hard to see being repeated – from second tier to European football in just three years."
It's also interesting to reflect upon Malmö, who became the initial and final Scandinavian side to make the championship match under English manager Bob Houghton.
This match is a far cry from that pinnacle, closer perhaps to the earlier European encounter between Forest and Malmö in that era. Forest are riding high after thrashing Liverpool 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 home team tonight.
Plenty of other action on offer in this clockwatch. The Glasgow club have already been lost to a European rival this season. Rangers are last place of the league rankings at the middle of the league phase with exactly zero. They urgently require a victory if they are to have any chance of achieving a comeback for a knockout position.
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 Feyenoord v Celtic.
