Forest vs Malmö, Rangers v Braga, and More – UEFA Europa League Updates
Match Coverage
Major Moments
- Match ended: Villa 2-1 Young Boys
- GOAL!: Joël Monteiro scores for Young Boys at 90+1
- Full-time: Feyenoord defeated 1-3 by Celtic
- Lineups announced: Forest and Malmö lineups
- Team news: Rangers v Braga teams!
- Preamble
League Position
The initial outcomes strongly influence the Europa League table. The Glasgow side rose to the 17th spot and are back in the safety of qualification spots.
| Position | Team | Played | GD | 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 |
Final Score: Aston Villa 2-1
Villa managed to hold on for the three points and moved level on points with table-toppers Midtjylland at the peak of the competition table. Villa struggled of that at the end.
90+1: Monteiro Pulls One Back
The Swiss side created a chance through Monteiro but only have stoppage time to get the tying goal!
Celtic Secure Victory
A famous and valuable win for the Celtic. Even after falling 1-0 down, Celtic fought back with goals from the Korean forward, Reo Hatate and the Swedish striker.
Latest Action
Aston Villa, meanwhile, retained a 2-0 lead over Young Boys with around five minutes left at the stadium.
The Dutch forward's brace there sparked furious scenes in the visitors' section, with Young Boys supporters engaging with police. Scuffles broke out and items launched at both the authorities and toward the field, with the player being struck in the head by a throwable object.
Team News: Nottingham Forest v Malmö
Nottingham Forest: John Victor, Abbott, Milenkovic, Murillo, Morato, Yates, The defensive midfielder, Dominguez, McAtee, The winger, The striker.
The Swedish side: The goalkeeper, Larsen, Jansson, The defender, The full-back, Haksabanovic, Johnsen, Skogmar, The attacker, The forward, The striker.
Referee: Osmers (Germany)
Lineups: Rangers vs Braga
The Light Blues: Butland, Tavernier, Fernandez, Djiga, The full-back, The midfielder, Diomande, Raskin, The attacker, The forward, Chermiti.
The Portuguese side: Hornicek, The defender, Lagerbielke, Niakate, Arrey-Mbi, Zalazar, Joao Moutinho, Gorby, Martinez, The forward, Ricardo Horta.
Match official: Allard Lindhout (Holland)
Preamble
Forest vs Malmö and memories of 1979. The both teams have a unique relationship, also meeting in Forest's last European campaign in the UEFA Cup of 1995-96, but it is the continental championship from 1979 that entwines these two together, with the record-breaking signing Trevor Francis scoring the winner of a pretty miserable final to secure historic victory for the red half of Nottingham.
"The legendary management duo, unassuming and low-key amid all the colour and celebration, stood for a moment on a bench serenely viewing the mafficking," noted the journalist. Their achievement was an remarkable feat that it is unlikely to be replicated – from the lower league to European stage in a short period."
One should note to pause a little on Malmö, who became the pioneering and only Scandinavian side to make the championship match under British coach Houghton.
Tonight's game is a distant from that summit, closer perhaps to the Uefa Cup first-round tie between Forest and Malmö in the mid-nineties. Forest are riding high after thrashing Liverpool at Anfield 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 match tracking. Rangers have already been defeated by a Portuguese opponent this season. Rangers are rock bottom of the competition table at the middle of the group stage with no points whatsoever. They badly want a victory if they are to have any hope of making a comeback for a knockout position.
Coverage will persist with all nine of the 8pm kick-offs and provide the current standings from the earlier matches, including Villa vs Young Boys and the Dutch-Scottish clash.
