Forest vs Malmö, Braga vs Rangers, and Additional – UEFA Europa League Updates
Match Coverage
Important Updates
- Match ended: Aston Villa 2-1 Young Boys
- GOAL!: Late goal from Monteiro makes it 2-1
- Match concluded: Feyenoord defeated 1-3 by Celtic
- Lineups announced: Starting players for Forest vs Malmö
- Starting players: Starting XI for Rangers vs Braga
- Opening notes
Current Table
These early results strongly influence the competition standings. Celtic climbed to the 17th spot and are back in the safety of qualification spots.
| Pos | Club | P | 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 |
Match Result: Villa 2-1 Young Boys
Aston Villa secured for the win and became tied on points with leaders Midtjylland at the top of the league phase standings. The Birmingham club made hard work of that at the end.
Late Goal: Monteiro Scores
Young Boys gave themselves a hope through Monteiro but had just four more minutes to score the leveler!
Celtic Secure Victory
A famous and valuable win for the Glasgow side. Even after falling 1-0 down, Celtic responded strongly with goals from Yang Hyun-jun, the Japanese midfielder and Nygren.
Latest Action
Aston Villa, concurrently, maintained a 2-0 lead over Young Boys with around five minutes left at Villa Park.
The Dutch forward's brace there sparked furious scenes in the visitors' section, with visiting fans confronting police. Punches were thrown and projectiles hurled at both the police and onto the pitch, with the player being struck in the head by a plastic cup.
Starting XI Revealed
Forest: Victor, The defender, The center-back, The defender, Morato, Yates, Sangare, The midfielder, The attacker, Hudson-Odoi, Kalimuendo.
The Swedish side: Ellborg, The defender, Jansson, Duric, Rosler, Haksabanovic, The midfielder, Skogmar, The attacker, The forward, Busanello.
Match official: The German referee (Germany)
Team News: Rangers v Braga
Rangers: Butland, Tavernier, The center-back, Djiga, The full-back, The midfielder, The midfielder, Raskin, Gassama, Danilo, The striker.
Braga: Hornicek, The defender, Lagerbielke, The defender, Arrey-Mbi, Zalazar, Joao Moutinho, Gorby, Martinez, Navarro, Ricardo Horta.
Referee: Allard Lindhout (from Netherlands)
Historical Context
Nottingham Forest v Malmö and past encounters. The two clubs have a unique relationship, also competing 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 the English forward scoring the winner of a largely forgettable match to clinch eternal glory for the red half of Nottingham.
"The legendary management duo, grey-sweatered and anonymous amid all the festivities and cheers, stood for a moment on a bench quietly watching the celebrations," commented the writer. Theirs has been an outstanding achievement that it is difficult to imagine happening again – from second tier to European stage in three seasons."
One should note to pause a little on Malmö, who became the pioneering and only Scandinavian side to reach the final under manager Houghton.
The current fixture is a very different to that summit, closer perhaps to the previous continental meeting between Forest and Malmö in 1995-96. Forest are full of confidence after defeating Liverpool convincingly at Anfield on Saturday, while Malmö have been inactive since 9 November following the conclusion of their domestic campaign. The smart money is on the English side tonight.
Plenty of other action on offer in this match tracking. The Glasgow club have already been lost to a Portuguese opponent this season. Rangers are at the foot of the 36-team Europa League standings at the middle of the league phase with precisely zero points. They desperately need a victory if they are to have any opportunity for a recovery for a qualification place.
We'll keep you up to date with all the late games and provide the current standings from the previous games, including Aston Villa v Young Boys and Rotterdam vs Glasgow.
