Forest vs Malmö, Rangers vs Braga, and Additional – UEFA Europa League Updates
Match Coverage
Major Moments
- Final whistle: Young Boys 1-2 Aston Villa
- GOAL!: Late goal from Monteiro makes it 2-1
- Full-time: Celtic 3-1 Feyenoord
- Starting XI: Starting players for Forest vs Malmö
- Starting players: Rangers and Braga lineups
- Introduction
Current Table
These early results greatly affect the Europa League table. Celtic have moved up to the 17th spot and returned to the safety of playoff places.
| Pos | 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 |
Final Score: Aston Villa 2-1
Aston Villa secured for the win and moved level on points with table-toppers Midtjylland at the summit of the league phase standings. The English side made hard work of that in the final stages.
Late Goal: Monteiro Scores
Young Boys gave themselves a hope through Monteiro but only have four more minutes to score the leveler!
Full-time: Feyenoord 1-3 Celtic
A significant and important win for the Scottish team. Although they went 1-0 down, Celtic roared back with goals from Yang Hyun-jun, Hatate and the Swedish striker.
Game Developments
Aston Villa, concurrently, retained a 2-0 lead over Young Boys with around five minutes left at Villa Park.
The Dutch forward's brace there caused dramatic events in the away end, with Swiss fans confronting police. Scuffles broke out and items launched at both the officers and onto the pitch, with the goalscorer being caught on the head by a plastic cup.
Team News: Nottingham Forest v Malmö
Nottingham Forest: John Victor, Abbott, Milenkovic, Murillo, Morato, The midfielder, Sangare, The midfielder, McAtee, Hudson-Odoi, Kalimuendo.
The Swedish side: Ellborg, The defender, Jansson, The defender, Rosler, The midfielder, The midfielder, Skogmar, The attacker, The forward, Busanello.
Official: Harm Osmers (from Germany)
Starting Players
The Light Blues: Butland, Tavernier, Fernandez, Djiga, The full-back, Barron, Diomande, Raskin, The attacker, Danilo, The striker.
Braga: The goalkeeper, The defender, The center-back, Niakate, Arrey-Mbi, The midfielder, Moutinho, The midfielder, Martinez, Navarro, Horta.
Match official: Allard Lindhout (from Netherlands)
Historical Context
The European clash and past encounters. The these sides have a unique relationship, also competing in Forest's most recent continental tour in the UEFA Cup of 1995-96, but it is the premier competition final 46 years ago that connects these teams, with the groundbreaking transfer the English forward heading the only goal of a rather dull championship game to secure historic victory for the the English club.
"Forest's famous bosses, grey-sweatered and anonymous amid all the festivities and cheers, stood for a moment on a bench calmly observing the revelry," noted the journalist. This represented an extraordinary accomplishment that it is unlikely to be replicated – from Second Division to European football in just three years."
One should note to reflect upon Malmö, who became the first, and to date the last Swedish club to make the championship match under manager Houghton.
Tonight's game is a distant from that peak, closer perhaps to the Uefa Cup first-round tie between Forest and Malmö in 1995-96. Forest are riding high after thrashing Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday, while Malmö haven't played officially since early November following the end of the Swedish league season. The general expectation is on the English side tonight.
Additional games on offer in this clockwatch. The Glasgow club 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 initial phase with precisely zero points. They badly want a victory if they are to have any opportunity for a late surge for a qualification place.
Updates will continue with all the late games and provide the current standings from the concluded fixtures, including the Birmingham match and Feyenoord v Celtic.
