Malmö vs Nottingham Forest, Rangers vs Braga, and More – Europa League Coverage
Match Coverage
Key Events
- Full-time: Young Boys 1-2 Aston Villa
- GOAL!: Aston Villa 2-1 Young Boys (Joël Monteiro 90+1)
- Full-time: Celtic 3-1 Feyenoord
- Starting XI: Starting players for Forest vs Malmö
- Lineups revealed: Starting XI for Rangers vs Braga
- Preamble
Current Table
The initial outcomes greatly affect the league rankings. The Glasgow side rose to the 17th spot and are back in the safety of playoff places.
| Pos | Club | Matches | GD | 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 |
Match Result: Villa 2-1 Young Boys
Aston Villa secured for the victory and went equal on points with table-toppers Midtjylland at the summit of the league phase standings. The English side struggled of that in the final stages.
GOAL! Aston Villa 2-1 Young Boys (Joël Monteiro 90+1)
The Swiss side created a lifeline through Monteiro but had just stoppage time to get the tying goal!
Full-time: Feyenoord 1-3 Celtic
A memorable and crucial win for the Celtic. Even after falling 1-0 down, Celtic fought back with goals from the Korean forward, Hatate and Nygren.
Latest Action
Villa, meanwhile, maintained 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 visiting fans engaging with police. Scuffles broke out and projectiles hurled at both the officers and at the playing surface, with Malen himself being hit on the head by a throwable object.
Starting XI Revealed
Forest: Victor, Abbott, Milenkovic, Murillo, Morato, The midfielder, The defensive midfielder, Dominguez, McAtee, Hudson-Odoi, Kalimuendo.
The Swedish side: Ellborg, Larsen, Jansson, The defender, Rosler, Haksabanovic, Johnsen, Skogmar, Bolin, Gudjohnsen, Busanello.
Match official: Harm Osmers (Germany)
Lineups: Rangers vs Braga
The Glasgow side: The goalkeeper, Tavernier, Fernandez, Djiga, Aarons, The midfielder, The midfielder, The midfielder, Gassama, Danilo, Chermiti.
The Arsenalistas: The goalkeeper, The defender, The center-back, Niakate, Arrey-Mbi, Zalazar, Joao Moutinho, Gorby, The attacker, Navarro, Horta.
Match official: The Dutch referee (Holland)
Preamble
The European clash and memories of 1979. The both teams have a unique relationship, also meeting in Forest's most recent continental tour in the mid-90s European competition, but it is the continental championship decades past that links these clubs, with Britain's first £1m player Francis heading the only goal of a pretty miserable final to claim legendary status for the red half of Nottingham.
"Forest's famous bosses, grey-sweatered and anonymous amid all the excitement and joy, stood for a moment on a bench quietly watching the revelry," noted the journalist. Their achievement was an outstanding achievement that it is unlikely to be replicated – from second tier to European stage in just three years."
Worth mentioning to reflect upon Malmö, who became the pioneering and only Swedish club to reach the final under British coach Houghton.
Tonight's game is a very different to that pinnacle, closer perhaps to the earlier European encounter between Forest and Malmö in the mid-nineties. Forest are full of confidence after beating Liverpool 3-0 at Anfield on Saturday, while Malmö haven't kicked a competitive ball 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 match tracking. The Glasgow club have already been defeated by a Portuguese opponent this season. Rangers are at the foot of the league rankings at the midpoint of the group stage with precisely zero points. They desperately need a victory if they are to have any hope of making a late surge for a playoff spot.
Updates will continue with all the evening matches and provide the current standings from the concluded fixtures, including Aston Villa v Young Boys and Feyenoord v Celtic.
