Malmö vs Nottingham Forest, Braga vs Rangers, and Additional – Europa League Updates
Live Updates
Key Events
- Match ended: Villa 2-1 Young Boys
- GOAL!: Late goal from Monteiro makes it 2-1
- Full-time: Feyenoord 1-3 Celtic
- Lineups announced: Starting players for Forest vs Malmö
- Team news: Rangers and Braga lineups
- Preamble
Current Table
These early results strongly influence the Europa League table. Celtic climbed to 17th place and are back in the safety of playoff places.
| Position | Side | Matches | Goal Difference | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
Match Result: Villa 2-1 Young Boys
Aston Villa secured for the victory and went equal on points with leaders Midtjylland at the summit of the competition table. The English side had difficulty of that during the closing minutes.
GOAL! Aston Villa 2-1 Young Boys (Joël Monteiro 90+1)
Young Boys earned a chance through Monteiro but only have four more minutes to get the tying goal!
Glasgow Side Wins 3-1
A memorable and crucial win for the Celtic. Even after falling 1-0 down, Celtic responded strongly with goals from Yang Hyun-jun, Hatate and the Swedish striker.
Game Developments
Villa, at the same time, 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 visitors' section, with Young Boys supporters confronting police. Scuffles broke out and objects thrown at both the officers and at the playing surface, with the player being struck in the head by a drinking vessel.
Team News: Nottingham Forest v Malmö
Nottingham Forest: The goalkeeper, Abbott, The center-back, Murillo, The full-back, Yates, Sangare, Dominguez, McAtee, Hudson-Odoi, Kalimuendo.
Malmö FF: Ellborg, Larsen, The center-back, Duric, The full-back, Haksabanovic, Johnsen, Skogmar, Bolin, Gudjohnsen, Busanello.
Referee: Osmers (from Germany)
Team News: Rangers v Braga
The Light Blues: Butland, The defender, Fernandez, The defender, Aarons, Barron, The midfielder, The midfielder, Gassama, Danilo, The striker.
The Portuguese side: Hornicek, The defender, Lagerbielke, The defender, The full-back, Zalazar, Joao Moutinho, Gorby, Martinez, Navarro, The striker.
Referee: The Dutch referee (Holland)
Historical Context
Nottingham Forest v Malmö and past encounters. The both teams have a historical link, also meeting in Forest's last European campaign in the UEFA Cup of 1995-96, but it is the continental championship decades past that links these clubs, with the record-breaking signing the English forward netting the decisive goal of a rather dull championship game to secure historic victory for the red half of Nottingham.
"Forest's famous bosses, modestly dressed amid all the colour and celebration, stood for a moment on a bench quietly watching the mafficking," wrote the match reporter. Their achievement was an extraordinary accomplishment that it is difficult to imagine happening again – from second tier to European stage in just three years."
One should note to consider Malmö, who became the pioneering and only Swedish club to advance to the ultimate game under manager Houghton.
The current fixture is a far cry from that peak, closer perhaps to the previous continental meeting between Forest and Malmö in that era. Forest are riding high after thrashing Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday, while Malmö haven't played officially since 9 November following the completion of Allsvenskan. The general expectation is on the English side tonight.
Plenty of other action on offer in this live coverage. The Scottish side have already been lost to a Portuguese opponent this season. Rangers are rock bottom of the competition table at the middle of the initial phase with precisely zero points. They urgently require a victory if they are to have any chance of achieving a recovery for a knockout position.
We'll keep you up to date with all the evening matches and provide the current standings from the previous games, including Aston Villa v Young Boys and the Dutch-Scottish clash.
