Nottingham Forest v Malmö, Rangers v Braga, and More – Europa League News
Match Coverage
Key Events
- Match ended: Young Boys 1-2 Aston Villa
- GOAL!: Aston Villa 2-1 Young Boys (Joël Monteiro 90+1)
- Game over: Feyenoord defeated 1-3 by Celtic
- Starting XI: Forest and Malmö lineups
- Team news: Rangers and Braga lineups
- Opening notes
Latest Standings
The initial outcomes strongly influence the competition standings. The Glasgow side rose to the 17th spot and are back in the secure qualification spots.
| Pos | Club | Played | 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
The English side clung on for the three points and went equal on points with table-toppers 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 were left with four more minutes to find an equaliser!
Glasgow Side Wins 3-1
A famous and valuable win for the Scottish team. Although they went 1-0 down, Celtic responded strongly with goals from the Korean forward, Hatate and Nygren.
Game Developments
Aston Villa, at the same time, maintained a 2-0 lead over Young Boys with roughly 300 seconds left at their home ground.
Malen's second goal there sparked furious scenes in the opposition stands, with visiting fans confronting police. Physical altercations occurred and projectiles hurled at both the officers and toward the field, with Malen himself being struck in the head by a drinking vessel.
Lineups: Forest vs Malmö
Nottingham Forest: John Victor, Abbott, The center-back, Murillo, Morato, Yates, Sangare, Dominguez, McAtee, The winger, Kalimuendo.
The Swedish side: Ellborg, The defender, Jansson, The defender, Rosler, Haksabanovic, Johnsen, Skogmar, Bolin, The forward, The striker.
Match official: The German referee (German)
Lineups: Rangers vs Braga
Rangers: Butland, Tavernier, Fernandez, Djiga, Aarons, Barron, Diomande, Raskin, Gassama, The forward, The striker.
The Arsenalistas: The goalkeeper, The defender, Lagerbielke, The defender, Arrey-Mbi, Zalazar, Moutinho, Gorby, Martinez, The forward, Horta.
Official: Allard Lindhout (Netherlands)
Match Background
Forest vs Malmö and memories of 1979. The two clubs have a historical link, also facing each other in Forest's previous European adventure in the mid-90s European competition, but it is the premier competition final 46 years ago that links these clubs, with the record-breaking signing Francis heading the only goal of a pretty miserable final to claim legendary status for the the English club.
"Brian Clough and Peter Taylor, unassuming and low-key amid all the excitement and joy, stood for a moment on a bench serenely viewing the mafficking," 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."
Worth mentioning to consider Malmö, who became the first, and to date the last Nordic team to make the championship match under manager Houghton.
This match is a far cry from that pinnacle, closer perhaps to the previous continental meeting between Forest and Malmö in the mid-nineties. Forest are riding high after thrashing Liverpool at the famous ground on Saturday, while Malmö have been inactive since 9 November following the end of the Swedish league season. The popular prediction is on the English side tonight.
Plenty of other action on offer in this live coverage. Rangers have already been lost to a Braga this season. Rangers are last place of the 36-team Europa League standings at the middle of the league phase with exactly zero. They urgently require a victory if they are to have any opportunity for a late surge for a qualification place.
Coverage will persist with all the evening matches and provide the current standings from the previous games, including the Birmingham match and Feyenoord v Celtic.
