Forest vs Malmö, Rangers v Braga, and Additional – Europa League Coverage
Live Updates
Major Moments
- Full-time: Aston Villa 2-1 Young Boys
- GOAL!: Late goal from Monteiro makes it 2-1
- Full-time: Feyenoord defeated 1-3 by Celtic
- Starting XI: Nottingham Forest v Malmö teams!
- Team news: Rangers and Braga lineups
- Opening notes
Current Table
The opening scores strongly influence the competition standings. Celtic have moved up to 17th position and are back in the safety of knockout positions.
| Pos | Side | 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
Villa managed to hold on for the victory and became tied on points with leaders Midtjylland at the summit of the group rankings. Villa made hard work of that during the closing minutes.
90+1: Monteiro Pulls One Back
Young Boys gave themselves a chance through Monteiro but had just stoppage time to find an equaliser!
Celtic Secure Victory
A significant and important win for the Celtic. Although they went 1-0 down, Celtic fought back with goals from Yang, Reo Hatate and Nygren.
Match Updates
Aston Villa, concurrently, retained a 2-0 lead over Young Boys with roughly 300 seconds left at their home ground.
The Dutch forward's brace there caused dramatic events in the away end, with visiting fans confronting police. Physical altercations occurred and objects thrown at both the police and toward the field, with the goalscorer being caught on the head by a throwable object.
Lineups: Forest vs Malmö
Forest: The goalkeeper, Abbott, The center-back, The defender, Morato, Yates, Sangare, Dominguez, The attacker, Hudson-Odoi, Kalimuendo.
Malmö FF: Ellborg, The defender, Jansson, Duric, The full-back, The midfielder, Johnsen, The midfielder, The attacker, Gudjohnsen, Busanello.
Referee: Osmers (German)
Lineups: Rangers vs Braga
The Glasgow side: Butland, The defender, Fernandez, The defender, Aarons, Barron, Diomande, The midfielder, The attacker, The forward, The striker.
Braga: The goalkeeper, Gomez, The center-back, The defender, The full-back, Zalazar, Moutinho, Gorby, Martinez, The forward, Ricardo Horta.
Referee: The Dutch referee (from Netherlands)
Historical Context
The European clash and historical connections. The these sides have a unique relationship, also competing in Forest's most recent continental tour in the UEFA Cup of 1995-96, but it is the premier competition final 46 years ago that links these clubs, with Britain's first £1m player the English forward heading the only goal of a rather dull championship game to clinch eternal glory for the the English club.
"The legendary management duo, unassuming and low-key amid all the colour and celebration, stood for a moment on a bench serenely viewing the revelry," wrote the match reporter. This represented an extraordinary accomplishment that it is difficult to imagine happening again – from Second Division to European football in a short period."
It's also interesting to pause a little on Malmö, who became the pioneering and only Swedish club to advance to the ultimate game under English manager Bob 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 riding high after thrashing Liverpool at Liverpool's home on Saturday, while Malmö have been inactive since 9 November following the completion of Allsvenskan. The popular prediction is on the English side tonight.
Additional games on offer in this live coverage. The Glasgow club have already been lost to a European rival this season. Rangers are at the foot of the 36-team Europa League standings at the middle of the group stage with exactly zero. They desperately need a victory if they are to have any opportunity for a comeback for a knockout position.
Updates will continue with all nine of the 8pm kick-offs and provide the most recent results from the concluded fixtures, including the Birmingham match and Feyenoord v Celtic.