Malmö vs Nottingham Forest, Braga vs Rangers, and Additional – Europa League News
Live Updates
Key Events
- Match ended: Villa 2-1 Young Boys
- GOAL!: Joël Monteiro scores for Young Boys at 90+1
- Match concluded: Celtic 3-1 Feyenoord
- Team news: Starting players for Forest vs Malmö
- Lineups revealed: Rangers v Braga teams!
- Introduction
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 | Side | Played | 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
Aston Villa secured for the win and moved level on points with leaders Midtjylland at the top of the competition table. The English side had difficulty of that at the end.
Late Goal: Monteiro Scores
Young Boys earned a hope through Monteiro but only have four more minutes to get the tying goal!
Celtic Secure Victory
A famous and valuable win for the Scottish team. Despite going 1-0 down, Celtic responded strongly with goals from Yang, Hatate and Benjamin Nygren.
Game Developments
The Birmingham side, meanwhile, retained a 2-0 lead over Young Boys with around five minutes left at Villa Park.
Malen's double there sparked furious scenes in the visitors' section, with Swiss fans confronting police. Physical altercations occurred and items launched at both the officers and onto the pitch, with the goalscorer being struck in the head by a drinking vessel.
Lineups: Forest vs Malmö
Forest: Victor, The defender, Milenkovic, The defender, The full-back, The midfielder, The defensive midfielder, The midfielder, McAtee, The winger, Kalimuendo.
The Swedish side: Ellborg, Stryger Larsen, The center-back, Duric, Rosler, Haksabanovic, Johnsen, The midfielder, Bolin, Gudjohnsen, Busanello.
Referee: The German referee (German)
Starting Players
The Light Blues: The goalkeeper, Tavernier, Fernandez, Djiga, Aarons, Barron, Diomande, Raskin, Gassama, Danilo, The striker.
Braga: Hornicek, The defender, The center-back, Niakate, Arrey-Mbi, Zalazar, Moutinho, Gorby, The attacker, The forward, Ricardo Horta.
Referee: Allard Lindhout (Holland)
Match Background
The European clash and historical connections. The both teams 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 Britain's first £1m player Francis netting the decisive goal of a rather dull championship game to clinch eternal glory for the red half of Nottingham.
"Forest's famous bosses, unassuming and low-key amid all the colour and celebration, stood for a moment on a bench calmly observing the revelry," wrote the match reporter. This represented an remarkable feat that it is unlikely to be replicated – from second tier to European football in just three years."
It's also interesting to consider Malmö, who became the first, and to date the last Swedish club to make the championship match under manager Houghton.
This match is a distant from that peak, closer perhaps to the Uefa Cup first-round tie between Forest and Malmö in 1995-96. Forest are absolutely buzzing after thrashing Liverpool at Liverpool's home on Saturday, while Malmö haven't kicked a competitive ball since early November following the end of the Swedish league season. The general expectation is on the Forest tonight.
Plenty of other action on offer in this live coverage. The Scottish side have already been beaten by a Braga this season. Rangers are last place of the competition table at the middle of the league phase with precisely zero points. They badly want a victory if they are to have any hope of making a comeback for a playoff spot.
We'll keep you up to date with all nine of the 8pm kick-offs and provide the latest scores from the concluded fixtures, including Aston Villa v Young Boys and Rotterdam vs Glasgow.
