Nottingham Forest v Malmö, Rangers vs Braga, and More – UEFA Europa League Coverage
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Key Events
- Match ended: Young Boys 1-2 Aston Villa
- GOAL!: Aston Villa 2-1 Young Boys (Joël Monteiro 90+1)
- Game over: Celtic 3-1 Feyenoord
- Starting XI: Forest and Malmö lineups
- Starting players: Starting XI for Rangers vs Braga
- Preamble
Latest Standings
These early results strongly influence the competition standings. The Glasgow side rose to 17th place and regained position in the protected knockout positions.
| Rank | Club | Played | GD | 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 |
Match Result: Villa 2-1 Young Boys
Aston Villa secured for the three points and went equal on points with leaders Midtjylland at the top of the competition table. Villa made hard work of that in the final stages.
Late Goal: Monteiro Scores
Young Boys gave themselves a hope through Monteiro but only have additional time to get the tying goal!
Glasgow Side Wins 3-1
A memorable and crucial win for the Scottish team. Although they went 1-0 down, Celtic roared back with goals from the Korean forward, the Japanese midfielder and the Swedish striker.
Game Developments
Aston Villa, at the same time, retained a 2-0 lead over Young Boys with roughly 300 seconds left at Villa Park.
Malen's second goal there triggered intense reactions in the visitors' section, with Swiss fans clashing with police. Punches were thrown and projectiles hurled at both the officers and onto the pitch, with the player being struck in the head by a drinking vessel.
Team News: Nottingham Forest v Malmö
The Reds: John Victor, The defender, Milenkovic, The defender, Morato, Yates, Sangare, The midfielder, McAtee, The winger, The striker.
The Swedish side: Ellborg, Larsen, The center-back, The defender, Rosler, The midfielder, The midfielder, Skogmar, The attacker, Gudjohnsen, The striker.
Official: Osmers (German)
Team News: Rangers v Braga
The Light Blues: The goalkeeper, The defender, Fernandez, The defender, Aarons, Barron, The midfielder, Raskin, Gassama, The forward, The striker.
Braga: Hornicek, The defender, The center-back, Niakate, Arrey-Mbi, Zalazar, The experienced midfielder, Gorby, Martinez, Navarro, The striker.
Official: Allard Lindhout (Holland)
Historical Context
Forest vs Malmö and memories of 1979. The two clubs have a special connection, also competing in Forest's most recent continental tour in the 1995-96 Uefa Cup, but it is the continental championship 46 years ago that connects these teams, with the record-breaking signing Francis netting the decisive goal of a rather dull championship game to clinch eternal glory for the Forest supporters.
"The legendary management duo, unassuming and low-key amid all the festivities and cheers, stood for a moment on a bench calmly observing the mafficking," commented the writer. Theirs has been an extraordinary accomplishment that it is difficult to imagine happening again – from second tier to continental competition in a short period."
Worth mentioning to pause a little on Malmö, who became the initial and final Scandinavian side to make the championship match under English manager Bob Houghton.
Tonight's game is a very different to that summit, closer perhaps to the Uefa Cup first-round tie between Forest and Malmö in the mid-nineties. Forest are absolutely buzzing after beating Liverpool 3-0 at Anfield on Saturday, while Malmö have been inactive since early November following the end of the Swedish league season. The popular prediction 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 36-team Europa League standings at the half-way stage of the group stage with exactly zero. They badly want a victory if they are to have any opportunity for a comeback for a qualification place.
Updates will continue with all the late games and provide the current standings from the earlier matches, including Villa vs Young Boys and the Dutch-Scottish clash.