Forest vs Malmö, Rangers vs Braga, and More – UEFA Europa League Updates
Match Coverage
Major Moments
- Full-time: Aston Villa 2-1 Young Boys
- GOAL!: Late goal from Monteiro makes it 2-1
- Full-time: Feyenoord defeated 1-3 by Celtic
- Team news: Forest and Malmö lineups
- Lineups revealed: Starting XI for Rangers vs Braga
- Preamble
League Position
The opening scores have significant impact on the Europa League table. Celtic have moved up to the 17th spot and returned to the protected playoff places.
| Position | Club | Played | GD | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
Full-time: Aston Villa 2-1 Young Boys
The English side clung on for the three points and went equal on points with front-runners Midtjylland at the peak of the competition table. The Birmingham club had difficulty of that in the final stages.
GOAL! Aston Villa 2-1 Young Boys (Joël Monteiro 90+1)
Young Boys gave themselves a hope through Monteiro but had just four more minutes to find an equaliser!
Celtic Secure Victory
A memorable and crucial win for the Celtic. Despite going 1-0 down, Celtic fought back with goals from Yang Hyun-jun, the Japanese midfielder and Benjamin Nygren.
Match Updates
Aston Villa, at the same time, maintained 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 visitors' section, with visiting fans engaging with police. Punches were thrown and objects thrown at both the officers and toward the field, with the goalscorer being struck in the head by a plastic cup.
Lineups: Forest vs Malmö
The Reds: The goalkeeper, Abbott, Milenkovic, The defender, Morato, The midfielder, Sangare, Dominguez, McAtee, Hudson-Odoi, The striker.
Malmö: Ellborg, Larsen, Jansson, The defender, Rosler, Haksabanovic, Johnsen, Skogmar, The attacker, Gudjohnsen, Busanello.
Referee: Osmers (from Germany)
Starting Players
The Light Blues: Butland, Tavernier, Fernandez, The defender, The full-back, Barron, Diomande, Raskin, Gassama, Danilo, Chermiti.
Braga: Hornicek, Gomez, Lagerbielke, Niakate, Arrey-Mbi, Zalazar, Joao Moutinho, Gorby, Martinez, The forward, Ricardo Horta.
Official: The Dutch referee (Netherlands)
Match Background
The European clash and historical connections. The both teams have a special connection, also meeting in Forest's last European campaign in the mid-90s European competition, but it is the continental championship 46 years ago that entwines these two together, with the groundbreaking transfer the English forward scoring the winner of a largely forgettable match to claim legendary status 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 calmly observing the mafficking," wrote the match reporter. This represented an remarkable feat that it is difficult to imagine happening again – from the lower league to European stage in a short period."
Worth mentioning to reflect upon Malmö, who became the initial and final Scandinavian side to advance to the ultimate game under English manager Bob Houghton.
This match 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 defeating Liverpool convincingly at Liverpool's home on Saturday, while Malmö haven't kicked a competitive ball since 9 November following the conclusion of their domestic campaign. The general expectation is on the Forest tonight.
Plenty of other action on offer in this clockwatch. The Glasgow club have already been defeated by a Braga this season. Rangers are last place of the competition table at the midpoint of the league phase with exactly zero. They desperately need a victory if they are to have any opportunity for a late surge for a knockout position.
Updates will continue with all the late games and provide the current standings from the concluded fixtures, including Aston Villa v Young Boys and the Dutch-Scottish clash.
