Nottingham Forest v Malmö, Rangers vs Braga, and Additional – Europa League Updates
Live Updates
Important Updates
- Match ended: Aston Villa 2-1 Young Boys
- GOAL!: Aston Villa 2-1 Young Boys (Joël Monteiro 90+1)
- Full-time: Feyenoord defeated 1-3 by Celtic
- Starting XI: Starting players for Forest vs Malmö
- Team news: Rangers v Braga teams!
- Introduction
Latest Standings
These early results strongly influence the Europa League table. Celtic have moved up to 17th position and regained position in the safety of knockout positions.
| Position | Club | P | GD | 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
Aston Villa secured for the win and went equal on points with front-runners Midtjylland at the summit of the competition table. Villa had difficulty of that during the closing minutes.
GOAL! Aston Villa 2-1 Young Boys (Joël Monteiro 90+1)
The Swiss side created a lifeline 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 responded strongly with goals from the Korean forward, Hatate and the Swedish striker.
Game Developments
The Birmingham side, at the same time, retained a 2-0 lead over Young Boys with around five minutes left at the stadium.
Malen's double there sparked furious scenes in the away end, with visiting fans clashing with police. Punches were thrown and items launched at both the authorities and onto the pitch, with the player being struck in the head by a plastic cup.
Starting XI Revealed
Forest: Victor, The defender, The center-back, Murillo, The full-back, Yates, Sangare, Dominguez, The attacker, Hudson-Odoi, Kalimuendo.
The Swedish side: The goalkeeper, The defender, The center-back, Duric, The full-back, Haksabanovic, Johnsen, The midfielder, Bolin, Gudjohnsen, Busanello.
Referee: The German referee (Germany)
Team News: Rangers v Braga
The Glasgow side: Butland, The defender, Fernandez, The defender, Aarons, Barron, Diomande, Raskin, Gassama, Danilo, Chermiti.
Braga: Hornicek, The defender, Lagerbielke, Niakate, Arrey-Mbi, Zalazar, Joao Moutinho, The midfielder, Martinez, The forward, Ricardo Horta.
Match official: Allard Lindhout (Netherlands)
Historical Context
Nottingham Forest v Malmö and past encounters. The both teams have a unique relationship, also competing in Forest's previous European adventure in the mid-90s European competition, but it is the European Cup final 46 years ago that entwines these two together, with the record-breaking signing the English forward netting the decisive goal of a largely forgettable match to claim legendary status for the Forest supporters.
"The legendary management duo, modestly dressed amid all the excitement and joy, stood for a moment on a bench calmly observing the mafficking," noted the journalist. Theirs has been an outstanding achievement that it is difficult to imagine happening again – from Second Division to European football in a short period."
It's also interesting to reflect upon Malmö, who became the initial and final Nordic team to advance to the ultimate game under manager Houghton.
The current fixture is a distant from that summit, closer perhaps to the Uefa Cup first-round tie between Forest and Malmö in that era. Forest are full of confidence after thrashing Liverpool at Liverpool's home on Saturday, while Malmö have been inactive since early November following the completion of Allsvenskan. The smart money is on the Forest tonight.
Numerous other matches on offer in this clockwatch. The Scottish side have already been defeated by a Portuguese opponent this season. Rangers are rock bottom of the competition table at the midpoint of the league phase with no points whatsoever. They desperately need a victory if they are to have any opportunity for a recovery for a playoff spot.
Updates will continue with all nine of the 8pm kick-offs and provide the most recent results from the previous games, including Aston Villa v Young Boys and the Dutch-Scottish clash.
