Malmö vs Nottingham Forest, Rangers vs Braga, and Additional – UEFA Europa League Updates
Live Updates
Key Events
- Full-time: Aston Villa 2-1 Young Boys
- Score!: Joël Monteiro scores for Young Boys at 90+1
- Game over: Celtic 3-1 Feyenoord
- Lineups announced: Starting players for Forest vs Malmö
- Lineups revealed: Starting XI for Rangers vs Braga
- Introduction
Latest Standings
The opening scores have significant impact on the competition standings. Celtic have moved up to 17th position and are back in the secure qualification spots.
| Position | Side | 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
Aston Villa secured for the win and became tied on points with table-toppers Midtjylland at the peak of the group rankings. The English side had difficulty of that in the final stages.
90+1: Monteiro Pulls One Back
The Swiss side created a lifeline through Monteiro but were left with stoppage time to find an equaliser!
Glasgow Side Wins 3-1
A memorable and crucial win for the Celtic. Despite going 1-0 down, Celtic roared back with goals from Yang, Reo Hatate and Nygren.
Game Developments
The Birmingham side, meanwhile, held onto a 2-0 lead over Young Boys with around five minutes left at Villa Park.
Malen's double there triggered intense reactions in the away end, with visiting fans confronting police. Scuffles broke out and items launched at both the authorities and at the playing surface, with the goalscorer being struck in the head by a drinking vessel.
Starting XI Revealed
Nottingham Forest: The goalkeeper, Abbott, Milenkovic, Murillo, Morato, Yates, Sangare, Dominguez, The attacker, Hudson-Odoi, Kalimuendo.
Malmö: Ellborg, Larsen, Jansson, The defender, The full-back, Haksabanovic, Johnsen, The midfielder, The attacker, The forward, The striker.
Referee: Harm Osmers (Germany)
Lineups: Rangers vs Braga
The Glasgow side: The goalkeeper, Tavernier, Fernandez, Djiga, Aarons, Barron, Diomande, The midfielder, Gassama, Danilo, Chermiti.
The Arsenalistas: Hornicek, Gomez, Lagerbielke, Niakate, Arrey-Mbi, Zalazar, Moutinho, Gorby, Martinez, The forward, Horta.
Referee: Allard Lindhout (Holland)
Historical Context
Forest vs Malmö and memories of 1979. The these sides have a historical link, also competing in Forest's previous European adventure in the UEFA Cup of 1995-96, but it is the European Cup final 46 years ago that entwines these two together, with the groundbreaking transfer Trevor Francis heading the only goal of a largely forgettable match to clinch eternal glory for the Forest supporters.
"Forest's famous bosses, grey-sweatered and anonymous amid all the festivities and cheers, stood for a moment on a bench serenely viewing the celebrations," noted the journalist. This represented an outstanding achievement that it is difficult to imagine happening again – from Second Division to European football in just three years."
One should note to reflect upon Malmö, who became the initial and final Scandinavian side to make the championship match under manager Houghton.
Tonight's game is a distant from that summit, closer perhaps to the previous continental meeting between Forest and Malmö in that era. Forest are full of confidence after defeating Liverpool convincingly at the famous ground on Saturday, while Malmö have been inactive since 9 November following the completion of Allsvenskan. The smart money is on the English side tonight.
Additional games on offer in this match tracking. Rangers have already been defeated by a Braga this season. Rangers are rock bottom of the 36-team Europa League standings at the middle of the league phase with precisely zero points. They desperately need a victory if they are to have any hope of making a comeback for a knockout position.
Updates will continue with all the evening matches and provide the current standings from the earlier matches, including Aston Villa v Young Boys and the Dutch-Scottish clash.