Nottingham Forest v Malmö, Rangers vs Braga, and Additional – Europa League Coverage
Live Updates
Major Moments
- Final whistle: Aston Villa 2-1 Young Boys
- Score!: Joël Monteiro scores for Young Boys at 90+1
- Match concluded: Feyenoord defeated 1-3 by Celtic
- Team news: Forest and Malmö lineups
- Team news: Starting XI for Rangers vs Braga
- Opening notes
League Position
The initial outcomes greatly affect the competition standings. Celtic have moved up to 17th position and are back in the protected qualification spots.
| Position | Club | Matches | Goal 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 moved level on points with front-runners Midtjylland at the summit of the league phase standings. The Birmingham club had difficulty of that at the end.
GOAL! Aston Villa 2-1 Young Boys (Joël Monteiro 90+1)
The Swiss side created a chance through Monteiro but had just four more minutes to get the tying goal!
Celtic Secure Victory
A significant and important win for the Scottish team. Despite going 1-0 down, Celtic roared back with goals from the Korean forward, Hatate and the Swedish striker.
Match Updates
Aston Villa, concurrently, retained a 2-0 lead over Young Boys with around five minutes left at their home ground.
The Dutch forward's brace there sparked furious scenes in the opposition stands, with Young Boys supporters clashing with police. Physical altercations occurred and items launched at both the authorities and at the playing surface, with the goalscorer being struck in the head by a plastic cup.
Team News: Nottingham Forest v Malmö
Forest: Victor, Abbott, The center-back, Murillo, Morato, The midfielder, Sangare, Dominguez, McAtee, The winger, Kalimuendo.
Malmö: The goalkeeper, The defender, The center-back, Duric, Rosler, Haksabanovic, The midfielder, Skogmar, Bolin, Gudjohnsen, The striker.
Official: The German referee (from Germany)
Starting Players
The Glasgow side: The goalkeeper, Tavernier, The center-back, Djiga, The full-back, Barron, Diomande, Raskin, Gassama, The forward, The striker.
The Arsenalistas: The goalkeeper, The defender, Lagerbielke, The defender, The full-back, Zalazar, Joao Moutinho, The midfielder, Martinez, The forward, Ricardo Horta.
Referee: Allard Lindhout (Netherlands)
Historical Context
Nottingham Forest v Malmö and memories of 1979. The both teams have a unique relationship, also competing in Forest's previous European adventure in the 1995-96 Uefa Cup, but it is the premier competition final 46 years ago that entwines these two together, with Britain's first £1m player the English forward scoring the winner of a largely forgettable match to secure historic victory for the Forest supporters.
"Forest's famous bosses, grey-sweatered and anonymous amid all the excitement and joy, stood for a moment on a bench quietly watching the revelry," noted the journalist. Their achievement was an outstanding achievement that it is difficult to imagine happening again – from second tier to continental competition in three seasons."
It's also interesting to reflect upon Malmö, who became the first, and to date the last Nordic team to make the championship match under British coach Houghton.
The current fixture is a far cry from that summit, closer perhaps to the earlier European encounter between Forest and Malmö in the mid-nineties. Forest are full of confidence after thrashing Liverpool at Liverpool's home on Saturday, while Malmö have been inactive since 9 November following the conclusion of their domestic campaign. The popular prediction is on the English side tonight.
Additional games on offer in this live coverage. Rangers have already been defeated by a Portuguese opponent this season. Rangers are rock bottom of the competition table at the half-way stage of the league phase with no points whatsoever. They urgently require a victory if they are to have any chance of achieving a recovery for a playoff spot.
Updates will continue with all the evening matches and provide the current standings from the earlier matches, including Villa vs Young Boys and Feyenoord v Celtic.
