Forest vs Malmö, Rangers vs Braga, and More – UEFA Europa League Coverage
Match Coverage
Major Moments
- Match ended: Young Boys 1-2 Aston Villa
- GOAL!: Joël Monteiro scores for Young Boys at 90+1
- Match concluded: Feyenoord 1-3 Celtic
- Team news: Starting players for Forest vs Malmö
- Starting players: Starting XI for Rangers vs Braga
- Preamble
Current Table
These early results have significant impact on the Europa League table. The Glasgow side rose to 17th place and returned to the secure qualification spots.
| Pos | Side | Matches | 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 win and moved level on points with leaders Midtjylland at the top of the group rankings. Villa made hard work of that during the closing minutes.
Late Goal: Monteiro Scores
The Swiss side created a chance through Monteiro but only have additional time to score the leveler!
Full-time: Feyenoord 1-3 Celtic
A memorable and crucial win for the Scottish team. Despite going 1-0 down, Celtic fought back with goals from the Korean forward, Reo Hatate and Benjamin Nygren.
Game Developments
Villa, concurrently, held onto 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 Young Boys supporters confronting police. Physical altercations occurred and projectiles hurled at both the police and toward the field, with the player being struck in the head by a plastic cup.
Team News: Nottingham Forest v Malmö
The Reds: John Victor, Abbott, Milenkovic, Murillo, Morato, The midfielder, Sangare, Dominguez, The attacker, Hudson-Odoi, The striker.
The Swedish side: Ellborg, The defender, Jansson, Duric, Rosler, Haksabanovic, Johnsen, Skogmar, Bolin, The forward, Busanello.
Official: The German referee (German)
Team News: Rangers v Braga
The Light Blues: The goalkeeper, Tavernier, The center-back, Djiga, Aarons, The midfielder, The midfielder, Raskin, The attacker, The forward, Chermiti.
The Portuguese side: The goalkeeper, Gomez, The center-back, Niakate, Arrey-Mbi, Zalazar, The experienced midfielder, The midfielder, Martinez, Navarro, Ricardo Horta.
Referee: The Dutch referee (Holland)
Historical Context
Nottingham Forest v Malmö and memories of 1979. The two clubs have a special connection, also meeting in Forest's last European campaign in the UEFA Cup of 1995-96, but it is the continental championship decades past that connects these teams, with Britain's first £1m player Trevor Francis scoring the winner of a largely forgettable match to clinch eternal glory for the Forest supporters.
"Forest's famous bosses, unassuming and low-key amid all the festivities and cheers, stood for a moment on a bench quietly watching the celebrations," noted the journalist. Theirs has been an remarkable feat that it is hard to see being repeated – from second tier to continental competition in a short period."
Worth mentioning to consider Malmö, who became the initial and final Swedish club to make the championship match under English manager Bob Houghton.
Tonight's game is a far cry from that pinnacle, closer perhaps to the previous continental meeting between Forest and Malmö in that era. Forest are full of confidence after beating Liverpool 3-0 at the famous ground on Saturday, while Malmö have been inactive since 9 November following the completion of Allsvenskan. The smart money is on the home team tonight.
Additional games on offer in this match tracking. Rangers have already been lost to a Braga this season. Rangers are at the foot of the 36-team Europa League standings at the half-way stage of the league phase with no points whatsoever. They badly want a victory if they are to have any hope of making a recovery for a playoff spot.
Updates will continue with all the evening matches and provide the current standings from the earlier matches, including Villa vs Young Boys and Rotterdam vs Glasgow.
