Malmö vs Nottingham Forest, Rangers v Braga, and Additional – UEFA Europa League Coverage
Match Coverage
Major Moments
- Full-time: Aston Villa 2-1 Young Boys
- GOAL!: Late goal from Monteiro makes it 2-1
- Full-time: Celtic 3-1 Feyenoord
- Team news: Nottingham Forest v Malmö teams!
- Team news: Rangers and Braga lineups
- Opening notes
Latest Standings
The opening scores have significant impact on the league rankings. Celtic have moved up to the 17th spot and regained position in the protected playoff places.
| Position | Side | P | 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
The English side clung on for the victory and became tied on points with leaders Midtjylland at the summit of the group rankings. The Birmingham club struggled of that in the final stages.
90+1: Monteiro Pulls One Back
Young Boys earned a lifeline through Monteiro but had just additional time to find an equaliser!
Glasgow Side Wins 3-1
A significant and important win for the Scottish team. Despite going 1-0 down, Celtic roared back with goals from Yang, the Japanese midfielder and Benjamin Nygren.
Game Developments
The Birmingham side, at the same time, retained a 2-0 lead over Young Boys with around five minutes left at Villa Park.
Malen's second goal there triggered intense reactions in the opposition stands, with Swiss fans confronting police. Physical altercations occurred and projectiles hurled at both the authorities and at the playing surface, with the goalscorer being caught on the head by a plastic cup.
Starting XI Revealed
Nottingham Forest: John Victor, Abbott, Milenkovic, The defender, The full-back, Yates, The defensive midfielder, The midfielder, The attacker, Hudson-Odoi, The striker.
The Swedish side: The goalkeeper, Larsen, The center-back, Duric, The full-back, The midfielder, Johnsen, The midfielder, The attacker, Gudjohnsen, The striker.
Referee: The German referee (German)
Starting Players
Rangers: The goalkeeper, Tavernier, Fernandez, Djiga, Aarons, The midfielder, Diomande, Raskin, Gassama, Danilo, The striker.
Braga: Hornicek, Gomez, The center-back, Niakate, Arrey-Mbi, Zalazar, The experienced midfielder, Gorby, Martinez, Navarro, Horta.
Match official: The Dutch referee (Holland)
Match Background
Nottingham Forest v Malmö and memories of 1979. The both teams have a unique relationship, also competing in Forest's last European campaign in the 1995-96 Uefa Cup, but it is the continental championship from 1979 that links these clubs, with Britain's first £1m player Francis scoring the winner of a pretty miserable final to clinch eternal glory for the Forest supporters.
"The legendary management duo, modestly dressed amid all the festivities and cheers, stood for a moment on a bench serenely viewing the revelry," noted the journalist. Their achievement was an extraordinary accomplishment that it is hard to see being repeated – from the lower league to European football in just three years."
It's also interesting to pause a little on Malmö, who became the pioneering and only Nordic team to make the championship match under English manager Bob Houghton.
This match is a very different to that pinnacle, closer perhaps to the previous continental meeting between Forest and Malmö in the mid-nineties. Forest are absolutely buzzing after defeating Liverpool convincingly at Liverpool's home on Saturday, while Malmö haven't played officially since 9 November following the end of the Swedish league season. The smart money is on the Forest tonight.
Additional games on offer in this live coverage. The Scottish side have already been beaten by a Braga this season. Rangers are at the foot 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 opportunity for a comeback for a qualification place.
Coverage will persist with all the late games and provide the current standings from the previous games, including Aston Villa v Young Boys and Feyenoord v Celtic.
