Malmö vs Nottingham Forest, Rangers v Braga, and Additional – UEFA Europa League Coverage
Match Coverage
Major Moments
- Match ended: Aston Villa 2-1 Young Boys
- GOAL!: Joël Monteiro scores for Young Boys at 90+1
- Full-time: Feyenoord 1-3 Celtic
- Starting XI: Forest and Malmö lineups
- Lineups revealed: Rangers v Braga teams!
- Preamble
Latest Standings
These early results have significant impact on the Europa League table. Celtic climbed to the 17th spot and returned to the secure playoff places.
| Rank | Team | Played | 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 |
Final Score: Aston Villa 2-1
Villa managed to hold on for the three points and went equal on points with front-runners Midtjylland at the top of the competition table. The English side had difficulty of that at the end.
90+1: Monteiro Pulls One Back
The Swiss side created a hope through Monteiro but were left with additional time to score the leveler!
Glasgow Side Wins 3-1
A famous and valuable win for the Scottish team. Even after falling 1-0 down, Celtic roared back with goals from Yang Hyun-jun, the Japanese midfielder and Benjamin Nygren.
Latest Action
Aston Villa, meanwhile, retained a 2-0 lead over Young Boys with around five minutes left at Villa Park.
Malen's second goal there caused dramatic events in the away end, with Swiss fans clashing with police. Punches were thrown and items launched at both the police and onto the pitch, with the goalscorer being caught on the head by a plastic cup.
Team News: Nottingham Forest v Malmö
The Reds: John Victor, The defender, The center-back, Murillo, The full-back, The midfielder, Sangare, Dominguez, McAtee, The winger, Kalimuendo.
Malmö FF: The goalkeeper, Stryger Larsen, The center-back, Duric, Rosler, Haksabanovic, The midfielder, The midfielder, Bolin, The forward, The striker.
Match official: The German referee (German)
Starting Players
The Light Blues: Butland, Tavernier, The center-back, The defender, The full-back, The midfielder, Diomande, The midfielder, Gassama, The forward, Chermiti.
The Arsenalistas: Hornicek, Gomez, Lagerbielke, Niakate, The full-back, Zalazar, The experienced midfielder, Gorby, Martinez, The forward, Horta.
Match official: Allard Lindhout (Holland)
Historical Context
Nottingham Forest v Malmö and memories of 1979. 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 continental championship 46 years ago that connects these teams, with the groundbreaking transfer the English forward heading the only goal of a pretty miserable final to clinch eternal glory for the red half of Nottingham.
"Forest's famous bosses, grey-sweatered and anonymous amid all the excitement and joy, stood for a moment on a bench calmly observing the revelry," wrote the match reporter. Theirs has been an extraordinary accomplishment that it is unlikely to be replicated – from second tier to European stage in a short period."
It's also interesting to reflect upon Malmö, who became the first, and to date the last Scandinavian side to reach the final under British coach Houghton.
Tonight's game is a far cry from that pinnacle, closer perhaps to the Uefa Cup first-round tie between Forest and Malmö in 1995-96. Forest are riding high after beating Liverpool 3-0 at Anfield on Saturday, while Malmö haven't kicked a competitive ball since 9 November following the end of the Swedish league season. The smart money is on the Forest tonight.
Plenty of other action on offer in this match tracking. The Glasgow club have already been beaten by a European rival this season. Rangers are at the foot of the 36-team Europa League standings at the half-way stage of the league phase with no points whatsoever. They desperately need a victory if they are to have any opportunity for a comeback for a qualification place.
Coverage will persist with all the evening matches and provide the current standings from the earlier matches, including the Birmingham match and Rotterdam vs Glasgow.
