Nottingham Forest v Malmö, Rangers vs Braga, and Additional – Europa League News
Match Coverage
Important Updates
- Match ended: Villa 2-1 Young Boys
- GOAL!: Aston Villa 2-1 Young Boys (Joël Monteiro 90+1)
- Match concluded: Feyenoord defeated 1-3 by Celtic
- Lineups announced: Forest and Malmö lineups
- Team news: Rangers and Braga lineups
- Preamble
Latest Standings
The opening scores have significant impact on the league rankings. Celtic climbed to 17th position and returned to the safety of playoff places.
| Rank | Club | 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 |
Full-time: Aston Villa 2-1 Young Boys
The English side clung on for the win and went equal on points with table-toppers Midtjylland at the top of the group rankings. The Birmingham club made hard work of that at the end.
90+1: Monteiro Pulls One Back
Young Boys gave themselves a chance through Monteiro but had just stoppage time to get the tying goal!
Glasgow Side Wins 3-1
A famous and valuable win for the Celtic. Despite going 1-0 down, Celtic fought back with goals from Yang Hyun-jun, Hatate and Benjamin Nygren.
Match Updates
Villa, concurrently, maintained a 2-0 lead over Young Boys with around five minutes left at Villa Park.
Malen's double there sparked furious scenes in the opposition stands, with Young Boys supporters confronting police. Scuffles broke out and objects thrown at both the authorities and toward the field, with the player being struck in the head by a throwable object.
Lineups: Forest vs Malmö
Forest: John Victor, The defender, Milenkovic, The defender, Morato, Yates, The defensive midfielder, Dominguez, The attacker, Hudson-Odoi, Kalimuendo.
Malmö FF: Ellborg, Stryger Larsen, The center-back, Duric, Rosler, The midfielder, The midfielder, Skogmar, The attacker, Gudjohnsen, Busanello.
Official: The German referee (from Germany)
Lineups: Rangers vs Braga
The Glasgow side: The goalkeeper, The defender, The center-back, Djiga, The full-back, Barron, Diomande, The midfielder, The attacker, The forward, Chermiti.
The Portuguese side: Hornicek, Gomez, Lagerbielke, Niakate, Arrey-Mbi, Zalazar, The experienced midfielder, Gorby, The attacker, The forward, Ricardo Horta.
Referee: Allard Lindhout (Netherlands)
Historical Context
Forest vs Malmö and past encounters. The two clubs have a unique relationship, also competing in Forest's previous European adventure in the 1995-96 Uefa Cup, but it is the premier competition final from 1979 that links these clubs, with the groundbreaking transfer Trevor Francis scoring the winner of a largely forgettable match to clinch eternal glory for the the English club.
"Forest's famous bosses, modestly dressed amid all the excitement and joy, stood for a moment on a bench quietly watching the celebrations," commented the writer. This represented an extraordinary accomplishment that it is hard to see being repeated – from Second Division to continental competition in just three years."
One should note to consider Malmö, who became the first, and to date the last Scandinavian side to reach the final under manager Houghton.
The current fixture is a far cry from that pinnacle, closer perhaps to the previous continental meeting between Forest and Malmö in that era. Forest are full of confidence after thrashing Liverpool at the famous ground on Saturday, while Malmö haven't played officially since 9 November following the completion of Allsvenskan. The general expectation is on the home team tonight.
Additional games on offer in this match tracking. The Scottish side have already been defeated by a European rival this season. Rangers are at the foot of the league rankings at the midpoint of the league phase with no points whatsoever. They desperately need a victory if they are to have any chance of achieving a late surge for a playoff spot.
Updates will continue with all the late games and provide the current standings from the concluded fixtures, including Aston Villa v Young Boys and the Dutch-Scottish clash.