Forest vs Malmö, Rangers vs Braga, and Additional – Europa League Updates
Live Updates
Important Updates
- Full-time: Aston Villa 2-1 Young Boys
- Score!: Late goal from Monteiro makes it 2-1
- Match concluded: Feyenoord 1-3 Celtic
- Starting XI: Starting players for Forest vs Malmö
- Team news: Rangers and Braga lineups
- Opening notes
League Position
The initial outcomes have significant impact on the competition standings. The Glasgow side rose to 17th position and are back in the safety of knockout positions.
| Pos | Side | Played | Goal Difference | 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
Villa managed to hold on for the three points and moved level on points with front-runners Midtjylland at the summit of the competition table. The Birmingham club made hard work of that in the final stages.
Late Goal: Monteiro Scores
Young Boys gave themselves a lifeline through Monteiro but were left with four more minutes to get the tying goal!
Glasgow Side Wins 3-1
A significant and important win for the Scottish team. Even after falling 1-0 down, Celtic responded strongly with goals from Yang Hyun-jun, Reo Hatate and Nygren.
Match Updates
Aston Villa, meanwhile, retained a 2-0 lead over Young Boys with around five minutes left at the stadium.
Malen's second goal there triggered intense reactions in the visitors' section, with Young Boys supporters engaging with police. Physical altercations occurred and items launched at both the authorities and toward the field, with the goalscorer being caught on the head by a throwable object.
Starting XI Revealed
Forest: John Victor, The defender, Milenkovic, Murillo, Morato, Yates, The defensive midfielder, Dominguez, McAtee, The winger, Kalimuendo.
Malmö FF: The goalkeeper, Stryger Larsen, Jansson, The defender, Rosler, Haksabanovic, The midfielder, Skogmar, Bolin, The forward, Busanello.
Referee: Harm Osmers (Germany)
Lineups: Rangers vs Braga
The Glasgow side: Butland, The defender, Fernandez, Djiga, Aarons, Barron, The midfielder, The midfielder, The attacker, Danilo, Chermiti.
Braga: Hornicek, Gomez, Lagerbielke, The defender, Arrey-Mbi, Zalazar, Moutinho, The midfielder, Martinez, Navarro, Ricardo Horta.
Official: Allard Lindhout (from Netherlands)
Preamble
Forest vs Malmö and past encounters. The both teams have a unique relationship, also meeting in Forest's last European campaign in the mid-90s European competition, but it is the European Cup final decades past that links these clubs, with the record-breaking signing Trevor Francis netting the decisive goal of a largely forgettable match to clinch eternal glory for the the English club.
"The legendary management duo, modestly dressed amid all the colour and celebration, stood for a moment on a bench serenely viewing the mafficking," wrote the match reporter. This represented an outstanding achievement that it is unlikely to be replicated – from Second Division to continental competition in a short period."
Worth mentioning to pause a little on Malmö, who became the initial and final Scandinavian side to reach the final under British coach Houghton.
The current fixture is a distant from that peak, closer perhaps to the earlier European encounter between Forest and Malmö in 1995-96. Forest are riding high after defeating Liverpool convincingly at Anfield on Saturday, while Malmö haven't played officially since early November following the end of the Swedish league season. The smart money is on the Forest tonight.
Plenty of other action on offer in this live coverage. The Scottish side have already been beaten by a Portuguese opponent this season. Rangers are last place of the 36-team Europa League standings at the half-way stage of the group stage with precisely zero points. They urgently require a victory if they are to have any hope of making a comeback for a qualification place.
Coverage will persist with all the late games and provide the current standings from the previous games, including the Birmingham match and the Dutch-Scottish clash.
