Malmö vs Nottingham Forest, Rangers vs Braga, and More – UEFA Europa League Coverage
Live Updates
Important Updates
- Final whistle: Aston Villa 2-1 Young Boys
- Score!: Late goal from Monteiro makes it 2-1
- Match concluded: Celtic 3-1 Feyenoord
- Starting XI: Nottingham Forest v Malmö teams!
- Starting players: Starting XI for Rangers vs Braga
- Preamble
League Position
The initial outcomes have significant impact on the league rankings. The Glasgow side rose to 17th position and returned to the protected playoff places.
| Pos | Club | Played | 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 |
Final Score: Aston Villa 2-1
Villa managed to hold on for the victory and went equal on points with leaders Midtjylland at the top of the league phase standings. Villa struggled of that at the end.
Late Goal: Monteiro Scores
Young Boys earned a hope through Monteiro but only have four more minutes to find an equaliser!
Celtic Secure Victory
A memorable and crucial win for the Glasgow side. Although they went 1-0 down, Celtic responded strongly with goals from the Korean forward, the Japanese midfielder and Nygren.
Game Developments
Villa, concurrently, retained a 2-0 lead over Young Boys with approximately five minutes left at Villa Park.
Malen's double there caused dramatic events in the away end, with Young Boys supporters engaging with police. Scuffles broke out and projectiles hurled at both the officers and toward the field, with the player being hit on the head by a plastic cup.
Team News: Nottingham Forest v Malmö
Nottingham Forest: Victor, The defender, Milenkovic, Murillo, Morato, Yates, The defensive midfielder, The midfielder, The attacker, Hudson-Odoi, Kalimuendo.
Malmö FF: Ellborg, The defender, Jansson, Duric, Rosler, The midfielder, The midfielder, The midfielder, Bolin, Gudjohnsen, The striker.
Match official: Harm Osmers (Germany)
Starting Players
Rangers: Butland, Tavernier, Fernandez, Djiga, The full-back, Barron, Diomande, Raskin, Gassama, The forward, The striker.
The Arsenalistas: Hornicek, Gomez, The center-back, Niakate, Arrey-Mbi, Zalazar, Joao Moutinho, Gorby, Martinez, Navarro, The striker.
Official: Allard Lindhout (from Netherlands)
Match Background
The European clash and memories of 1979. The two clubs have a historical link, also facing each other in Forest's previous European adventure in the 1995-96 Uefa Cup, but it is the European Cup final 46 years ago that entwines these two together, with the record-breaking signing Francis netting the decisive goal of a rather dull championship game to claim legendary status for the red half of Nottingham.
"The legendary management duo, unassuming and low-key amid all the excitement and joy, stood for a moment on a bench serenely viewing the celebrations," wrote the match reporter. This represented an remarkable feat that it is unlikely to be replicated – from second tier to European football in just three years."
Worth mentioning to reflect upon Malmö, who became the pioneering and only Swedish club to advance to the ultimate game under manager Houghton.
Tonight's game is a very different to that peak, closer perhaps to the earlier European encounter between Forest and Malmö in 1995-96. Forest are absolutely buzzing after thrashing Liverpool at Liverpool's home on Saturday, while Malmö haven't played officially 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. Rangers have already been lost to a Portuguese opponent this season. Rangers are at the foot of the league rankings at the half-way stage of the initial phase with no points whatsoever. They urgently require a victory if they are to have any chance of achieving a late surge for a playoff spot.
Coverage will persist with all the late games and provide the current standings from the previous games, including Villa vs Young Boys and Feyenoord v Celtic.
