Nottingham Forest v Malmö, Braga vs Rangers, and Additional – UEFA Europa League News
Live Updates
Key Events
- Final whistle: Aston Villa 2-1 Young Boys
- GOAL!: Late goal from Monteiro makes it 2-1
- Game over: Celtic 3-1 Feyenoord
- Lineups announced: Forest and Malmö lineups
- Lineups revealed: Rangers v Braga teams!
- Preamble
Current Table
These early results strongly influence the league rankings. The Glasgow side rose to 17th position and are back in the secure playoff places.
| Position | Side | P | 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 |
Match Result: Villa 2-1 Young Boys
Villa managed to hold on for the win and went equal on points with leaders Midtjylland at the peak of the competition table. The Birmingham club had difficulty of that during the closing minutes.
Late Goal: Monteiro Scores
Young Boys gave themselves a chance through Monteiro but had just stoppage time to find an equaliser!
Glasgow Side Wins 3-1
A memorable and crucial win for the Celtic. Even after falling 1-0 down, Celtic fought back with goals from Yang Hyun-jun, Reo Hatate and Nygren.
Latest Action
Aston Villa, concurrently, retained a 2-0 lead over Young Boys with approximately five minutes left at their home ground.
Malen's double there caused dramatic events in the visitors' section, with Young Boys supporters confronting police. Physical altercations occurred and projectiles hurled at both the police and onto the pitch, with the player being hit on the head by a drinking vessel.
Starting XI Revealed
Nottingham Forest: John Victor, The defender, Milenkovic, The defender, Morato, Yates, The defensive midfielder, Dominguez, The attacker, Hudson-Odoi, The striker.
Malmö FF: Ellborg, Larsen, Jansson, Duric, Rosler, Haksabanovic, Johnsen, Skogmar, Bolin, The forward, The striker.
Official: Harm Osmers (German)
Team News: Rangers v Braga
The Light Blues: Butland, Tavernier, The center-back, Djiga, Aarons, Barron, Diomande, The midfielder, Gassama, Danilo, The striker.
The Portuguese side: The goalkeeper, The defender, Lagerbielke, The defender, Arrey-Mbi, Zalazar, Joao Moutinho, The midfielder, Martinez, The forward, Horta.
Official: The Dutch referee (from Netherlands)
Historical Context
Nottingham Forest v Malmö and historical connections. The these sides have a unique relationship, also competing in Forest's previous European adventure in the UEFA Cup of 1995-96, but it is the premier competition final 46 years ago that links these clubs, with Britain's first £1m player the English forward scoring the winner of a rather dull championship game to secure historic victory for the Forest supporters.
"The legendary management duo, unassuming and low-key amid all the colour and celebration, stood for a moment on a bench calmly observing the mafficking," wrote the match reporter. This represented an extraordinary accomplishment that it is unlikely to be replicated – from Second Division to continental competition in a short period."
Worth mentioning to reflect upon Malmö, who became the initial and final Swedish club to reach the final under manager Houghton.
Tonight's game is a far cry from that pinnacle, 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 have been inactive since 9 November following the completion of Allsvenskan. The smart money is on the Forest tonight.
Additional games on offer in this live coverage. Rangers have already been lost to a European rival this season. Rangers are rock bottom of the competition table at the midpoint of the initial phase with no points whatsoever. They desperately need a victory if they are to have any hope of making a recovery for a qualification place.
We'll keep you up to date with all the evening matches and provide the latest scores from the concluded fixtures, including the Birmingham match and the Dutch-Scottish clash.
