Malmö vs Nottingham Forest, Braga vs Rangers, and Additional – UEFA Europa League News
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Important Updates
- Match ended: Aston Villa 2-1 Young Boys
- Goal scored!: Joël Monteiro scores for Young Boys at 90+1
- Match concluded: Feyenoord defeated 1-3 by Celtic
- Lineups announced: Nottingham Forest v Malmö teams!
- Starting players: Rangers v Braga teams!
- Preamble
League Position
The initial outcomes strongly influence the competition standings. Celtic have moved up to 17th place and returned to the safety of knockout positions.
| Rank | 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 |
Match Result: Villa 2-1 Young Boys
Aston Villa secured for the win and went equal on points with table-toppers Midtjylland at the peak of the league phase standings. Villa had difficulty of that during the closing minutes.
GOAL! Aston Villa 2-1 Young Boys (Joël Monteiro 90+1)
Young Boys gave themselves a lifeline through Monteiro but had just four more minutes to score the leveler!
Full-time: Feyenoord 1-3 Celtic
A significant and important win for the Scottish team. Although they went 1-0 down, Celtic fought back with goals from Yang, the Japanese midfielder and the Swedish striker.
Game Developments
Villa, at the same time, retained a 2-0 lead over Young Boys with around five minutes left at Villa Park.
Malen's second goal there caused dramatic events in the away end, with Swiss fans clashing with police. Scuffles broke out and items launched at both the officers and toward the field, with the player being hit on the head by a drinking vessel.
Lineups: Forest vs Malmö
Forest: Victor, The defender, The center-back, Murillo, Morato, Yates, The defensive midfielder, The midfielder, McAtee, Hudson-Odoi, The striker.
The Swedish side: The goalkeeper, Larsen, Jansson, Duric, Rosler, Haksabanovic, The midfielder, Skogmar, Bolin, Gudjohnsen, The striker.
Official: Osmers (from Germany)
Lineups: Rangers vs Braga
The Glasgow side: Butland, Tavernier, The center-back, Djiga, The full-back, The midfielder, The midfielder, Raskin, Gassama, Danilo, The striker.
The Portuguese side: Hornicek, Gomez, Lagerbielke, Niakate, Arrey-Mbi, Zalazar, Moutinho, The midfielder, Martinez, Navarro, The striker.
Match official: Lindhout (from Netherlands)
Historical Context
Nottingham Forest v Malmö and past encounters. The both teams have a unique relationship, also competing in Forest's previous European adventure in the mid-90s European competition, but it is the continental championship from 1979 that links these clubs, with the record-breaking signing Francis netting the decisive goal of a largely forgettable match to claim legendary status for the the English club.
"Forest's famous bosses, modestly dressed amid all the festivities and cheers, stood for a moment on a bench calmly observing the revelry," noted the journalist. Theirs has been an remarkable feat that it is hard to see being repeated – from the lower league to continental competition in a short period."
It's also interesting to pause a little on Malmö, who became the initial and final Scandinavian side to advance to the ultimate game under English manager Bob Houghton.
The current fixture is a far cry from that pinnacle, closer perhaps to the earlier European encounter between Forest and Malmö in that era. Forest are riding high after defeating Liverpool convincingly at Anfield on Saturday, while Malmö haven't played officially since 9 November following the end of the Swedish league season. The general expectation is on the English side tonight.
Plenty of other action on offer in this clockwatch. Rangers have already been defeated by a European rival this season. Rangers are at the foot of the competition table at the midpoint of the group stage with precisely zero points. They urgently require a victory if they are to have any chance of achieving a late surge for a playoff spot.
Updates will continue with all the evening matches and provide the latest scores from the previous games, including Aston Villa v Young Boys and Rotterdam vs Glasgow.
