Nottingham Forest v Malmö, Rangers vs Braga, and Additional – UEFA Europa League News
Match Coverage
Major Moments
- Full-time: Aston Villa 2-1 Young Boys
- Goal scored!: Late goal from Monteiro makes it 2-1
- Match concluded: Feyenoord 1-3 Celtic
- Team news: Forest and Malmö lineups
- Team news: Rangers v Braga teams!
- Preamble
League Position
The initial outcomes have significant impact on the competition standings. Celtic have moved up to the 17th spot and returned to the safety of playoff places.
| Position | Club | P | Goal Difference | 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 |
Full-time: Aston Villa 2-1 Young Boys
Aston Villa secured for the win and went equal on points with leaders Midtjylland at the peak of the league phase standings. The English side made hard work of that at the end.
90+1: Monteiro Pulls One Back
Young Boys gave themselves a lifeline through Monteiro but had just four more minutes to get the tying goal!
Glasgow Side Wins 3-1
A memorable and crucial win for the Glasgow side. Although they went 1-0 down, Celtic responded strongly with goals from Yang Hyun-jun, Reo Hatate and Nygren.
Match Updates
Villa, meanwhile, held onto a 2-0 lead over Young Boys with roughly 300 seconds left at the stadium.
Malen's second goal there caused dramatic events in the opposition stands, with visiting fans engaging with police. Punches were thrown and items launched at both the officers and at the playing surface, with the goalscorer being struck in the head by a drinking vessel.
Starting XI Revealed
The Reds: Victor, Abbott, Milenkovic, The defender, Morato, The midfielder, The defensive midfielder, Dominguez, McAtee, The winger, The striker.
Malmö FF: The goalkeeper, Stryger Larsen, The center-back, Duric, The full-back, Haksabanovic, The midfielder, Skogmar, The attacker, The forward, Busanello.
Referee: Osmers (from Germany)
Team News: Rangers v Braga
The Light Blues: The goalkeeper, Tavernier, Fernandez, Djiga, Aarons, The midfielder, The midfielder, Raskin, Gassama, Danilo, The striker.
The Portuguese side: Hornicek, Gomez, Lagerbielke, The defender, Arrey-Mbi, The midfielder, Moutinho, Gorby, The attacker, The forward, The striker.
Match official: The Dutch referee (Holland)
Match Background
Forest vs Malmö and historical connections. 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 from 1979 that entwines these two together, with the record-breaking signing Francis netting the decisive goal of a largely forgettable match to clinch eternal glory for the red half of Nottingham.
"The legendary management duo, grey-sweatered and anonymous amid all the festivities and cheers, stood for a moment on a bench quietly watching the celebrations," noted the journalist. This represented an extraordinary accomplishment that it is unlikely to be replicated – from the lower league to continental competition in three seasons."
It's also interesting to consider Malmö, who became the pioneering and only Swedish club to make the championship match under manager Houghton.
Tonight's game is a very different to that summit, closer perhaps to the previous continental meeting between Forest and Malmö in 1995-96. 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 end of the Swedish league season. The smart money is on the English side tonight.
Additional games on offer in this live coverage. Rangers have already been defeated by a Portuguese opponent this season. Rangers are at the foot of the competition table at the half-way stage of the league phase with precisely zero points. They urgently require a victory if they are to have any chance of achieving a comeback for a playoff spot.
Updates will continue with all nine of the 8pm kick-offs and provide the latest scores from the earlier matches, including the Birmingham match and Feyenoord v Celtic.
