Nottingham Forest v Malmö, Rangers v Braga, and More – Europa League News
Match Coverage
Major Moments
- Final whistle: Young Boys 1-2 Aston Villa
- Score!: Aston Villa 2-1 Young Boys (Joël Monteiro 90+1)
- Match concluded: Celtic 3-1 Feyenoord
- Lineups announced: Forest and Malmö lineups
- Lineups revealed: Rangers v Braga teams!
- Opening notes
League Position
The initial outcomes have significant impact on the league rankings. Celtic have moved up to 17th position and are back in the protected qualification spots.
| 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
The English side clung on for the win and moved level on points with front-runners Midtjylland at the top of the group rankings. Villa had difficulty of that during the closing minutes.
90+1: Monteiro Pulls One Back
The Swiss side created a hope through Monteiro but were left with four more minutes to find an equaliser!
Celtic Secure Victory
A significant and important win for the Celtic. Although they went 1-0 down, Celtic responded strongly with goals from the Korean forward, Reo Hatate and the Swedish striker.
Game Developments
Villa, concurrently, retained a 2-0 lead over Young Boys with roughly 300 seconds left at their home ground.
Malen's double there sparked furious scenes in the opposition stands, with Swiss fans confronting police. Scuffles broke out and items launched at both the authorities and onto the pitch, with the goalscorer being hit on the head by a drinking vessel.
Starting XI Revealed
Nottingham Forest: Victor, The defender, Milenkovic, Murillo, Morato, Yates, Sangare, The midfielder, McAtee, The winger, Kalimuendo.
The Swedish side: Ellborg, Larsen, The center-back, Duric, The full-back, The midfielder, Johnsen, Skogmar, Bolin, The forward, The striker.
Match official: Harm Osmers (German)
Lineups: Rangers vs Braga
The Light Blues: The goalkeeper, The defender, Fernandez, Djiga, The full-back, The midfielder, Diomande, The midfielder, The attacker, Danilo, Chermiti.
Braga: The goalkeeper, The defender, The center-back, Niakate, Arrey-Mbi, The midfielder, Joao Moutinho, Gorby, Martinez, Navarro, The striker.
Referee: Allard Lindhout (Holland)
Historical Context
The European clash and past encounters. 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 decades past that connects these teams, with Britain's first £1m player Trevor Francis netting the decisive goal of a pretty miserable final to clinch eternal glory for the the English club.
"Forest's famous bosses, unassuming and low-key amid all the festivities and cheers, stood for a moment on a bench serenely viewing the celebrations," wrote the match reporter. This represented an remarkable feat that it is unlikely to be replicated – from the lower league to European stage in a short period."
It's also interesting to pause a little on Malmö, who became the pioneering and only Swedish club to reach the final under manager Houghton.
This match is a far cry from that peak, closer perhaps to the earlier European encounter between Forest and Malmö in 1995-96. Forest are full of confidence after defeating Liverpool convincingly at the famous ground on Saturday, while Malmö have been inactive since 9 November following the completion of Allsvenskan. The popular prediction is on the home team tonight.
Plenty of other action on offer in this clockwatch. Rangers have already been beaten by a Portuguese opponent this season. Rangers are at the foot of the competition table at the half-way stage of the group stage with precisely zero points. They desperately need a victory if they are to have any opportunity for a late surge for a qualification place.
Coverage will persist with all the evening matches and provide the current standings from the earlier matches, including the Birmingham match and Rotterdam vs Glasgow.
