Malmö vs Nottingham Forest, Rangers v Braga, and Additional – UEFA Europa League Coverage
Match Coverage
Important Updates
- Match ended: Aston Villa 2-1 Young Boys
- Goal scored!: Late goal from Monteiro makes it 2-1
- Game over: Feyenoord 1-3 Celtic
- Starting XI: Nottingham Forest v Malmö teams!
- Starting players: Starting XI for Rangers vs Braga
- Introduction
League Position
These early results strongly influence the league rankings. Celtic have moved up to the 17th spot and are back in the secure qualification spots.
| Pos | Side | Matches | Goal 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 |
Full-time: Aston Villa 2-1 Young Boys
Villa managed to hold on for the win and became tied on points with leaders Midtjylland at the top of the competition table. The English side 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 were left with stoppage time to score the leveler!
Full-time: Feyenoord 1-3 Celtic
A memorable and crucial win for the Glasgow side. Although they went 1-0 down, Celtic fought back with goals from the Korean forward, Hatate and Benjamin Nygren.
Match Updates
Villa, concurrently, retained a 2-0 lead over Young Boys with around five minutes left at Villa Park.
Malen's double there caused dramatic events in the away end, with Swiss fans engaging with police. Physical altercations occurred and projectiles hurled at both the authorities and toward the field, with the player being caught on the head by a plastic cup.
Starting XI Revealed
The Reds: John Victor, Abbott, The center-back, Murillo, The full-back, The midfielder, The defensive midfielder, Dominguez, McAtee, Hudson-Odoi, The striker.
Malmö FF: Ellborg, Stryger Larsen, Jansson, Duric, The full-back, Haksabanovic, The midfielder, Skogmar, Bolin, Gudjohnsen, Busanello.
Referee: Harm Osmers (German)
Starting Players
Rangers: Butland, Tavernier, Fernandez, Djiga, The full-back, Barron, Diomande, Raskin, Gassama, Danilo, Chermiti.
The Arsenalistas: The goalkeeper, Gomez, Lagerbielke, Niakate, Arrey-Mbi, Zalazar, The experienced midfielder, Gorby, Martinez, Navarro, Ricardo Horta.
Match official: Allard Lindhout (from Netherlands)
Match Background
The European clash and memories of 1979. The these sides have a historical link, also facing each other in Forest's last European campaign in the UEFA Cup of 1995-96, but it is the European Cup final from 1979 that connects these teams, with Britain's first £1m player the English forward netting the decisive goal of a rather dull championship game to clinch eternal glory for the Forest supporters.
"Forest's famous bosses, unassuming and low-key amid all the festivities and cheers, stood for a moment on a bench quietly watching the revelry," commented the writer. Theirs has been an extraordinary accomplishment that it is difficult to imagine happening again – from second tier to European football in just three years."
It's also interesting to pause a little on Malmö, who became the first, and to date the last Swedish club to advance to the ultimate game under manager Houghton.
Tonight's game is a far cry from that peak, closer perhaps to the earlier European encounter between Forest and Malmö in the mid-nineties. Forest are riding high after thrashing Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday, while Malmö haven't played officially since 9 November following the end of the Swedish league season. The general expectation is on the Forest tonight.
Additional games on offer in this clockwatch. Rangers have already been beaten by a Portuguese opponent this season. Rangers are last place of the competition table at the half-way stage of the group stage with no points whatsoever. They urgently require a victory if they are to have any opportunity for a recovery for a playoff spot.
Coverage will persist with all nine of the 8pm kick-offs and provide the most recent results from the concluded fixtures, including Villa vs Young Boys and Feyenoord v Celtic.
