Forest vs Malmö, Rangers vs Braga, and Additional – Europa League Coverage
Match Coverage
Important Updates
- Full-time: Aston Villa 2-1 Young Boys
- Goal scored!: Aston Villa 2-1 Young Boys (Joël Monteiro 90+1)
- Full-time: Celtic 3-1 Feyenoord
- Starting XI: Starting players for Forest vs Malmö
- Team news: Rangers and Braga lineups
- Introduction
League Position
These early results strongly influence the competition standings. Celtic have moved up to the 17th spot and are back in the protected knockout positions.
| Pos | Side | P | Difference | 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 |
Final Score: Aston Villa 2-1
Villa managed to hold on for the three points and went equal on points with leaders Midtjylland at the summit of the competition table. The English side had difficulty of that during the closing minutes.
GOAL! Aston Villa 2-1 Young Boys (Joël Monteiro 90+1)
Young Boys gave themselves a chance through Monteiro but only have four more minutes to find an equaliser!
Celtic Secure Victory
A significant and important win for the Celtic. Despite going 1-0 down, Celtic responded strongly with goals from Yang Hyun-jun, Reo Hatate and the Swedish striker.
Game Developments
Villa, at the same time, maintained a 2-0 lead over Young Boys with around five minutes left at their home ground.
Malen's second goal there triggered intense reactions in the visitors' section, with visiting fans engaging with police. Punches were thrown and projectiles hurled at both the officers and onto the pitch, with the goalscorer being struck in the head by a plastic cup.
Team News: Nottingham Forest v Malmö
Forest: John Victor, Abbott, The center-back, Murillo, The full-back, Yates, The defensive midfielder, Dominguez, McAtee, Hudson-Odoi, The striker.
Malmö FF: Ellborg, Larsen, The center-back, Duric, Rosler, Haksabanovic, Johnsen, Skogmar, Bolin, Gudjohnsen, Busanello.
Referee: The German referee (Germany)
Starting Players
The Glasgow side: Butland, The defender, The center-back, Djiga, The full-back, Barron, Diomande, Raskin, Gassama, The forward, The striker.
The Arsenalistas: Hornicek, Gomez, Lagerbielke, The defender, The full-back, The midfielder, The experienced midfielder, Gorby, The attacker, The forward, Ricardo Horta.
Official: The Dutch referee (from Netherlands)
Historical Context
The European clash and past encounters. The both teams have a unique relationship, also competing in Forest's last European campaign in the mid-90s European competition, but it is the premier competition final from 1979 that links these clubs, with the record-breaking signing Francis netting the decisive goal of a pretty miserable final to claim legendary status for the the English club.
"The legendary management duo, grey-sweatered and anonymous amid all the colour and celebration, stood for a moment on a bench serenely viewing the celebrations," commented the writer. Theirs has been an outstanding achievement that it is hard to see being repeated – from second tier 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 reach the final under British coach Houghton.
This match is a far cry from that pinnacle, closer perhaps to the earlier European encounter between Forest and Malmö in the mid-nineties. Forest are riding high after defeating Liverpool convincingly at Anfield on Saturday, while Malmö have been inactive since last month following the end of the Swedish league season. The general expectation is on the English side tonight.
Numerous other matches on offer in this live coverage. The Glasgow club have already been defeated by a Braga this season. Rangers are last place of the league rankings at the midpoint of the league phase with exactly zero. They urgently require a victory if they are to have any chance of achieving a comeback for a playoff spot.
Updates will continue with all the evening matches and provide the most recent results from the previous games, including the Birmingham match and Feyenoord v Celtic.
