Forest vs Malmö, Rangers vs Braga, and Additional – Europa League Coverage
Live Updates
Important Updates
- Final whistle: Villa 2-1 Young Boys
- GOAL!: Late goal from Monteiro makes it 2-1
- Full-time: Feyenoord 1-3 Celtic
- Team news: Forest and Malmö lineups
- Lineups revealed: Starting XI for Rangers vs Braga
- Preamble
Latest Standings
The initial outcomes greatly affect the league rankings. The Glasgow side rose to 17th place and regained position in the secure knockout positions.
| Rank | Side | P | 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 |
Full-time: Aston Villa 2-1 Young Boys
The English side clung on for the win and became tied on points with leaders Midtjylland at the top of the competition table. The Birmingham club struggled of that during the closing minutes.
GOAL! Aston Villa 2-1 Young Boys (Joël Monteiro 90+1)
Young Boys earned a lifeline through Monteiro but only have stoppage time to score the leveler!
Full-time: Feyenoord 1-3 Celtic
A significant and important win for the Celtic. Although they went 1-0 down, Celtic responded strongly with goals from the Korean forward, Reo Hatate and Nygren.
Game Developments
The Birmingham side, concurrently, retained a 2-0 lead over Young Boys with approximately five minutes left at the stadium.
The Dutch forward's brace there triggered intense reactions in the away end, with visiting fans confronting police. Punches were thrown and items launched at both the authorities and onto the pitch, with the player being hit on the head by a drinking vessel.
Team News: Nottingham Forest v Malmö
The Reds: John Victor, Abbott, The center-back, Murillo, Morato, Yates, Sangare, The midfielder, McAtee, Hudson-Odoi, The striker.
Malmö: Ellborg, Larsen, Jansson, The defender, The full-back, Haksabanovic, Johnsen, The midfielder, Bolin, The forward, Busanello.
Official: Harm Osmers (German)
Team News: Rangers v Braga
The Light Blues: The goalkeeper, Tavernier, Fernandez, Djiga, Aarons, Barron, Diomande, Raskin, Gassama, Danilo, The striker.
The Portuguese side: Hornicek, Gomez, Lagerbielke, Niakate, The full-back, Zalazar, The experienced midfielder, The midfielder, Martinez, The forward, Ricardo Horta.
Official: Lindhout (Holland)
Historical Context
Nottingham Forest v Malmö and historical connections. The two clubs have a historical link, also facing each other in Forest's most recent continental tour in the mid-90s European competition, but it is the premier competition final from 1979 that links these clubs, with Britain's first £1m player the English forward heading the only goal of a largely forgettable match to secure historic victory for the the English club.
"Brian Clough and Peter Taylor, unassuming and low-key amid all the festivities and cheers, stood for a moment on a bench serenely viewing the celebrations," wrote the match reporter. This represented an extraordinary accomplishment that it is hard to see being repeated – from Second Division to European football in just three years."
Worth mentioning to consider Malmö, who became the pioneering and only Swedish club to advance to the ultimate game under manager 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 absolutely buzzing after defeating Liverpool convincingly at the famous ground on Saturday, while Malmö haven't kicked a competitive ball since 9 November following the end of the Swedish league season. The popular prediction is on the English side tonight.
Additional games on offer in this live coverage. The Glasgow club have already been defeated by a Braga this season. Rangers are last place of the league rankings at the middle of the initial phase with exactly zero. They badly want a victory if they are to have any hope of making a recovery for a knockout position.
We'll keep you up to date with all nine of the 8pm kick-offs and provide the latest scores from the earlier matches, including Villa vs Young Boys and Rotterdam vs Glasgow.
