Nottingham Forest v Malmö, Braga vs Rangers, and Additional – UEFA Europa League Updates
Live Updates
Key Events
- Full-time: 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
Latest Standings
The initial outcomes strongly influence the Europa League table. Celtic have moved up to 17th position and returned to the safety of knockout positions.
| 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
The English side clung on for the win and moved level on points with table-toppers Midtjylland at the top of the group rankings. The Birmingham club made hard work of that during the closing minutes.
Late Goal: Monteiro Scores
Young Boys gave themselves a lifeline through Monteiro but had just four more minutes to get the tying goal!
Celtic Secure Victory
A significant and important win for the Glasgow side. Even after falling 1-0 down, Celtic fought back with goals from the Korean forward, the Japanese midfielder and Nygren.
Game Developments
The Birmingham side, meanwhile, retained a 2-0 lead over Young Boys with roughly 300 seconds left at Villa Park.
Malen's double there sparked furious scenes in the opposition stands, with visiting fans confronting police. Physical altercations occurred and objects thrown at both the police and toward the field, with the goalscorer being struck in the head by a plastic cup.
Team News: Nottingham Forest v Malmö
The Reds: The goalkeeper, Abbott, Milenkovic, Murillo, Morato, The midfielder, Sangare, Dominguez, McAtee, The winger, Kalimuendo.
The Swedish side: Ellborg, Stryger Larsen, Jansson, Duric, Rosler, Haksabanovic, The midfielder, Skogmar, The attacker, Gudjohnsen, The striker.
Referee: The German referee (German)
Starting Players
The Light Blues: Butland, Tavernier, Fernandez, Djiga, Aarons, Barron, The midfielder, Raskin, Gassama, Danilo, Chermiti.
Braga: Hornicek, The defender, Lagerbielke, The defender, Arrey-Mbi, Zalazar, The experienced midfielder, The midfielder, Martinez, The forward, Ricardo Horta.
Official: The Dutch referee (Netherlands)
Match Background
Nottingham Forest v Malmö and memories of 1979. The these sides have a historical link, also facing each other in Forest's most recent continental tour in the 1995-96 Uefa Cup, but it is the premier competition final decades past that connects these teams, with the record-breaking signing Trevor Francis netting the decisive goal of a largely forgettable match to clinch eternal glory for the Forest supporters.
"Brian Clough and Peter Taylor, modestly dressed amid all the festivities and cheers, stood for a moment on a bench serenely viewing the mafficking," commented the writer. Theirs has been an remarkable feat that it is difficult to imagine happening again – from the lower league to European stage in three seasons."
It's also interesting to pause a little on Malmö, who became the first, and to date the last Scandinavian side to advance to the ultimate game under English manager Bob Houghton.
Tonight's game is a distant from that peak, closer perhaps to the previous continental meeting between Forest and Malmö in that era. Forest are riding high after thrashing Liverpool 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 smart money is on the home team tonight.
Numerous other matches on offer in this match tracking. Rangers have already been lost to a Braga this season. Rangers are at the foot of the 36-team Europa League standings at the half-way stage of the initial phase with precisely zero points. They urgently require a victory if they are to have any opportunity for a recovery for a knockout position.
Updates will continue with all the late games and provide the current standings from the previous games, including Aston Villa v Young Boys and the Dutch-Scottish clash.