Malmö vs Nottingham Forest, Rangers vs Braga, and More – Europa League News
Match Coverage
Important Updates
- Full-time: Villa 2-1 Young Boys
- GOAL!: Joël Monteiro scores for Young Boys at 90+1
- Match concluded: Celtic 3-1 Feyenoord
- Team news: Forest and Malmö lineups
- Starting players: Starting XI for Rangers vs Braga
- Opening notes
Current Table
The initial outcomes have significant impact on the competition standings. The Glasgow side rose to the 17th spot and returned to the secure playoff places.
| Rank | Club | Matches | 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 |
Final Score: Aston Villa 2-1
Aston Villa secured for the win and went equal on points with table-toppers Midtjylland at the top 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 hope through Monteiro but had just four more minutes to find an equaliser!
Glasgow Side Wins 3-1
A memorable and crucial win for the Glasgow side. Although they went 1-0 down, Celtic fought back with goals from Yang, the Japanese midfielder and Benjamin Nygren.
Match Updates
Villa, meanwhile, maintained a 2-0 lead over Young Boys with approximately five minutes left at the stadium.
The Dutch forward's brace there sparked furious scenes in the opposition stands, with Young Boys supporters clashing with police. Punches were thrown and projectiles hurled at both the officers and onto the pitch, with the player being caught on the head by a throwable object.
Team News: Nottingham Forest v Malmö
The Reds: Victor, Abbott, Milenkovic, Murillo, Morato, The midfielder, The defensive midfielder, Dominguez, McAtee, The winger, Kalimuendo.
Malmö: Ellborg, Stryger Larsen, Jansson, Duric, Rosler, Haksabanovic, The midfielder, Skogmar, Bolin, Gudjohnsen, Busanello.
Official: The German referee (Germany)
Team News: Rangers v Braga
The Light Blues: Butland, Tavernier, Fernandez, The defender, The full-back, Barron, The midfielder, Raskin, Gassama, Danilo, Chermiti.
Braga: Hornicek, Gomez, Lagerbielke, The defender, Arrey-Mbi, The midfielder, Moutinho, Gorby, Martinez, Navarro, Ricardo Horta.
Official: The Dutch referee (Netherlands)
Match Background
The European clash and memories of 1979. The these sides have a unique relationship, also competing in Forest's previous European adventure in the 1995-96 Uefa Cup, but it is the European Cup final 46 years ago that links these clubs, with the groundbreaking transfer Trevor Francis heading the only goal of a rather dull championship game to claim legendary status for the the English club.
"Forest's famous bosses, grey-sweatered and anonymous amid all the festivities and cheers, stood for a moment on a bench serenely viewing the revelry," noted the journalist. Their achievement was an remarkable feat that it is unlikely to be replicated – from Second Division to continental competition in three seasons."
One should note to pause a little on Malmö, who became the initial and final Scandinavian side to make the championship match under manager Houghton.
This match is a distant from that pinnacle, closer perhaps to the previous continental meeting between Forest and Malmö in the mid-nineties. Forest are riding high after defeating Liverpool convincingly at Anfield on Saturday, while Malmö haven't played officially since early November following the conclusion of their domestic campaign. The smart money is on the English side tonight.
Numerous other matches on offer in this live coverage. The Glasgow club have already been lost to a Braga this season. Rangers are last place of the league rankings at the middle of the group stage with precisely zero points. They badly want a victory if they are to have any opportunity for a comeback for a qualification place.
We'll keep you up to date with all nine of the 8pm kick-offs and provide the most recent results from the earlier matches, including the Birmingham match and Rotterdam vs Glasgow.
