Forest vs Malmö, Braga vs Rangers, and More – Europa League Coverage
Match Coverage
Key Events
- Full-time: Young Boys 1-2 Aston Villa
- GOAL!: Late goal from Monteiro makes it 2-1
- Match concluded: Celtic 3-1 Feyenoord
- Lineups announced: Nottingham Forest v Malmö teams!
- Starting players: Rangers v Braga teams!
- Introduction
League Position
These early results have significant impact on the Europa League table. The Glasgow side rose to 17th place and regained position in the protected qualification spots.
| Pos | Team | P | Goal Difference | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 three points and went equal on points with table-toppers Midtjylland at the summit of the group rankings. The English side made hard work of that during the closing minutes.
90+1: Monteiro Pulls One Back
Young Boys gave themselves a chance through Monteiro but had just additional time to score the leveler!
Glasgow Side Wins 3-1
A significant and important win for the Glasgow side. Even after falling 1-0 down, Celtic fought back with goals from Yang, Reo Hatate and Benjamin Nygren.
Latest Action
The Birmingham side, meanwhile, retained a 2-0 lead over Young Boys with roughly 300 seconds left at the stadium.
The Dutch forward's brace there sparked furious scenes in the visitors' section, with Young Boys supporters confronting police. Scuffles broke out and items launched at both the officers and onto the pitch, with Malen himself being hit on the head by a throwable object.
Starting XI Revealed
Forest: John Victor, Abbott, The center-back, Murillo, The full-back, The midfielder, Sangare, The midfielder, McAtee, Hudson-Odoi, The striker.
Malmö: The goalkeeper, Larsen, Jansson, The defender, Rosler, Haksabanovic, Johnsen, The midfielder, The attacker, Gudjohnsen, Busanello.
Referee: Harm Osmers (German)
Lineups: Rangers vs Braga
The Glasgow side: Butland, Tavernier, Fernandez, The defender, Aarons, Barron, Diomande, Raskin, Gassama, Danilo, The striker.
The Arsenalistas: The goalkeeper, Gomez, Lagerbielke, The defender, The full-back, Zalazar, Joao Moutinho, Gorby, Martinez, Navarro, Ricardo Horta.
Referee: Allard Lindhout (Netherlands)
Match Background
Forest vs Malmö and historical connections. The these sides have a historical link, also facing each other in Forest's most recent continental tour in the mid-90s European competition, but it is the continental championship from 1979 that links these clubs, with Britain's first £1m player the English forward heading the only goal of a largely forgettable match to claim legendary status for the red half of Nottingham.
"The legendary management duo, unassuming and low-key amid all the excitement and joy, stood for a moment on a bench serenely viewing the celebrations," wrote the match reporter. This represented an remarkable feat that it is unlikely to be replicated – from Second Division to continental competition in a short period."
One should note to reflect upon Malmö, who became the first, and to date the last Scandinavian side to make the championship match under manager Houghton.
Tonight's game is a distant from that pinnacle, closer perhaps to the Uefa Cup first-round tie between Forest and Malmö in that era. Forest are riding high after beating Liverpool 3-0 at Anfield on Saturday, while Malmö haven't played officially since early November following the conclusion of their domestic campaign. The popular prediction is on the English side tonight.
Numerous other matches on offer in this clockwatch. The Glasgow club have already been lost to a European rival this season. Rangers are rock bottom of the competition table at the half-way stage of the league phase with exactly zero. They urgently require a victory if they are to have any opportunity for a recovery for a playoff spot.
We'll keep you up to date with all the late games and provide the current standings from the earlier matches, including the Birmingham match and Rotterdam vs Glasgow.
