Nottingham Forest v Malmö, Braga vs Rangers, and Additional – Europa League Updates
Match Coverage
Major Moments
- Match ended: Aston Villa 2-1 Young Boys
- Goal scored!: 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: Rangers and Braga lineups
- Preamble
Current Table
The opening scores have significant impact on the Europa League table. Celtic have moved up to the 17th spot and returned to the secure playoff places.
| Pos | Team | Played | 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 |
Final Score: Aston Villa 2-1
The English side clung on for the victory and became tied on points with leaders Midtjylland at the top of the group rankings. The Birmingham club had difficulty of that during the closing minutes.
90+1: Monteiro Pulls One Back
Young Boys earned a lifeline through Monteiro but had just four more minutes to score the leveler!
Full-time: Feyenoord 1-3 Celtic
A famous and valuable win for the Scottish team. Even after falling 1-0 down, Celtic fought back with goals from the Korean forward, Reo Hatate and Benjamin Nygren.
Game Developments
The Birmingham side, meanwhile, held onto a 2-0 lead over Young Boys with approximately five minutes left at the stadium.
The Dutch forward's brace there sparked furious scenes in the opposition stands, with Swiss fans engaging with police. Physical altercations occurred and items launched at both the authorities and onto the pitch, with the goalscorer being struck in the head by a drinking vessel.
Lineups: Forest vs Malmö
The Reds: Victor, The defender, Milenkovic, The defender, Morato, Yates, The defensive midfielder, Dominguez, McAtee, Hudson-Odoi, Kalimuendo.
Malmö: The goalkeeper, Larsen, Jansson, Duric, Rosler, The midfielder, Johnsen, Skogmar, Bolin, Gudjohnsen, The striker.
Referee: Osmers (German)
Starting Players
The Light Blues: Butland, The defender, Fernandez, Djiga, The full-back, Barron, Diomande, Raskin, Gassama, The forward, Chermiti.
The Arsenalistas: The goalkeeper, Gomez, Lagerbielke, The defender, Arrey-Mbi, Zalazar, Moutinho, Gorby, Martinez, Navarro, Horta.
Referee: Allard Lindhout (from Netherlands)
Match Background
Nottingham Forest v Malmö and historical connections. The both teams have a unique relationship, also competing in Forest's most recent continental tour in the UEFA Cup of 1995-96, but it is the European Cup final 46 years ago that connects these teams, with the groundbreaking transfer Trevor Francis netting the decisive goal of a rather dull championship game to clinch eternal glory for the the English club.
"Brian Clough and Peter Taylor, unassuming and low-key amid all the excitement and joy, stood for a moment on a bench quietly watching the celebrations," wrote the match reporter. This represented an remarkable feat that it is difficult to imagine happening again – from the lower league to European football in three seasons."
Worth mentioning to consider Malmö, who became the initial and final Scandinavian side to make the championship match under manager Houghton.
The current fixture is a very different to that summit, 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 smart money is on the English side tonight.
Additional games on offer in this live coverage. The Scottish side have already been defeated by a Braga this season. Rangers are rock bottom of the competition table at the midpoint of the league phase with no points whatsoever. They urgently require a victory if they are to have any hope of making a recovery for a knockout position.
Updates will continue with all nine of the 8pm kick-offs and provide the latest scores from the earlier matches, including the Birmingham match and Rotterdam vs Glasgow.
