Nottingham Forest v Malmö, Rangers vs Braga, and Additional – Europa League News
Live Updates
Major Moments
- Full-time: Villa 2-1 Young Boys
- Score!: Late goal from Monteiro makes it 2-1
- Match concluded: Feyenoord defeated 1-3 by Celtic
- Starting XI: Forest and Malmö lineups
- Team news: Starting XI for Rangers vs Braga
- Opening notes
Current Table
The initial outcomes strongly influence the competition standings. Celtic climbed to 17th place and returned to the secure qualification spots.
| Rank | Club | Played | 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 |
Final Score: Aston Villa 2-1
Aston Villa secured for the victory and went equal on points with table-toppers Midtjylland at the summit of the group rankings. Villa made hard work of that at the end.
90+1: Monteiro Pulls One Back
Young Boys gave themselves a lifeline through Monteiro but only have four more minutes to find an equaliser!
Celtic Secure Victory
A significant and important win for the Scottish team. Even after falling 1-0 down, Celtic fought back with goals from Yang Hyun-jun, Reo Hatate and Nygren.
Game Developments
Villa, meanwhile, maintained a 2-0 lead over Young Boys with around five minutes left at Villa Park.
Malen's double there sparked furious scenes in the visitors' section, with Swiss fans clashing with police. Physical altercations occurred and objects thrown at both the police and at the playing surface, with Malen himself being caught on the head by a throwable object.
Lineups: Forest vs Malmö
Forest: The goalkeeper, The defender, Milenkovic, Murillo, Morato, Yates, The defensive midfielder, Dominguez, The attacker, Hudson-Odoi, Kalimuendo.
Malmö FF: The goalkeeper, Stryger Larsen, Jansson, Duric, Rosler, Haksabanovic, Johnsen, Skogmar, The attacker, Gudjohnsen, Busanello.
Match official: Osmers (Germany)
Starting Players
Rangers: Butland, Tavernier, The center-back, The defender, Aarons, Barron, The midfielder, Raskin, Gassama, The forward, Chermiti.
The Portuguese side: Hornicek, Gomez, The center-back, The defender, Arrey-Mbi, The midfielder, The experienced midfielder, Gorby, The attacker, Navarro, Ricardo Horta.
Referee: The Dutch referee (from Netherlands)
Historical Context
The European clash and historical connections. The these sides have a historical link, also meeting in Forest's previous European adventure in the UEFA Cup of 1995-96, but it is the continental championship decades past that connects these teams, with the record-breaking signing the English forward netting the decisive goal of a rather dull championship game to claim legendary status for the Forest supporters.
"Brian Clough and Peter Taylor, unassuming and low-key amid all the festivities and cheers, stood for a moment on a bench calmly observing the mafficking," wrote the match reporter. This represented an extraordinary accomplishment that it is difficult to imagine happening again – from Second Division to European football in just three years."
One should note to reflect upon Malmö, who became the pioneering and only Swedish club to advance to the ultimate game under manager Houghton.
The current fixture is a far cry from that pinnacle, closer perhaps to the earlier European encounter between Forest and Malmö in that era. Forest are full of confidence after thrashing Liverpool at Liverpool's home on Saturday, while Malmö haven't played officially since last month following the conclusion of their domestic campaign. The general expectation is on the English side tonight.
Additional games on offer in this live coverage. The Scottish side have already been lost to a Braga this season. Rangers are last place of the league rankings at the middle of the initial phase with no points whatsoever. They desperately need a victory if they are to have any hope of making a late surge for a qualification place.
Updates will continue with all the evening matches and provide the current standings from the concluded fixtures, including Aston Villa v Young Boys and Feyenoord v Celtic.
