Forest vs Malmö, Rangers vs Braga, and More – Europa League Updates
Match Coverage
Major Moments
- Match ended: Villa 2-1 Young Boys
- Goal scored!: Late goal from Monteiro makes it 2-1
- Match concluded: Celtic 3-1 Feyenoord
- Lineups announced: Starting players for Forest vs Malmö
- Starting players: Rangers and Braga lineups
- Introduction
Latest Standings
The opening scores strongly influence the Europa League table. Celtic climbed to the 17th spot and returned to the secure playoff places.
| Pos | Club | P | Goal 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
Villa managed to hold on for the three points and went equal on points with table-toppers Midtjylland at the summit of the competition table. The Birmingham club had difficulty of that at the end.
90+1: Monteiro Pulls One Back
Young Boys earned a chance through Monteiro but had just stoppage time to find an equaliser!
Celtic Secure Victory
A significant and important win for the Scottish team. Even after falling 1-0 down, Celtic responded strongly with goals from Yang, Reo Hatate and Benjamin Nygren.
Latest Action
The Birmingham side, meanwhile, held onto a 2-0 lead over Young Boys with roughly 300 seconds left at the stadium.
The Dutch forward's brace there sparked furious scenes in the away end, with Swiss fans confronting police. Punches were thrown and objects thrown at both the police and at the playing surface, with the goalscorer being struck in the head by a drinking vessel.
Team News: Nottingham Forest v Malmö
Forest: The goalkeeper, The defender, The center-back, Murillo, The full-back, Yates, The defensive midfielder, Dominguez, McAtee, The winger, Kalimuendo.
Malmö FF: The goalkeeper, Stryger Larsen, Jansson, Duric, The full-back, Haksabanovic, The midfielder, Skogmar, Bolin, Gudjohnsen, Busanello.
Referee: Harm Osmers (German)
Team News: Rangers v Braga
The Light Blues: Butland, The defender, The center-back, Djiga, Aarons, The midfielder, The midfielder, Raskin, Gassama, Danilo, Chermiti.
The Portuguese side: Hornicek, Gomez, Lagerbielke, Niakate, The full-back, The midfielder, The experienced midfielder, Gorby, Martinez, The forward, The striker.
Referee: Allard Lindhout (from Netherlands)
Historical Context
Forest vs Malmö and historical connections. The two clubs have a special connection, also competing in Forest's previous European adventure 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 heading the only goal of a largely forgettable match to secure historic victory for the red half of Nottingham.
"Forest's famous bosses, unassuming and low-key amid all the colour and celebration, stood for a moment on a bench calmly observing the mafficking," wrote the match reporter. Theirs has been an remarkable feat that it is unlikely to be replicated – from the lower league to continental competition in just three years."
It's also interesting to reflect upon Malmö, who became the first, and to date the last Nordic team to advance to the ultimate game under manager Houghton.
The current fixture is a far cry from that peak, closer perhaps to the previous continental meeting between Forest and Malmö in 1995-96. Forest are full of confidence after beating Liverpool 3-0 at Liverpool's home on Saturday, while Malmö haven't kicked a competitive ball since last month following the conclusion of their domestic campaign. The general expectation is on the home team tonight.
Additional games on offer in this match tracking. The Scottish side have already been defeated by a Braga this season. Rangers are rock bottom of the 36-team Europa League standings at the middle of the group stage with no points whatsoever. They badly want a victory if they are to have any chance of achieving a late surge for a qualification place.
Coverage will persist with all nine of the 8pm kick-offs and provide the current standings from the previous games, including Aston Villa v Young Boys and Feyenoord v Celtic.
