Forest vs Malmö, Rangers vs Braga, and More – Europa League News
Match Coverage
Key Events
- Full-time: Young Boys 1-2 Aston Villa
- Score!: Aston Villa 2-1 Young Boys (Joël Monteiro 90+1)
- Game over: Celtic 3-1 Feyenoord
- Lineups announced: Nottingham Forest v Malmö teams!
- Team news: Rangers v Braga teams!
- Introduction
League Position
These early results greatly affect the Europa League table. Celtic have moved up to 17th place and are back in the safety of playoff places.
| Pos | Side | Played | 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 |
Final Score: Aston Villa 2-1
Villa managed to hold on for the three points and went equal on points with front-runners Midtjylland at the summit of the group rankings. The Birmingham club struggled of that during the closing minutes.
90+1: Monteiro Pulls One Back
Young Boys earned a lifeline through Monteiro but had just stoppage time to find an equaliser!
Glasgow Side Wins 3-1
A memorable and crucial win for the Glasgow side. Although they went 1-0 down, Celtic roared back with goals from the Korean forward, the Japanese midfielder 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 double there triggered intense reactions in the away end, with Swiss fans engaging with police. Punches were thrown and projectiles hurled at both the officers and toward the field, with the player being hit on the head by a drinking vessel.
Lineups: Forest vs Malmö
The Reds: Victor, Abbott, The center-back, The defender, Morato, Yates, The defensive midfielder, The midfielder, The attacker, Hudson-Odoi, Kalimuendo.
The Swedish side: The goalkeeper, Stryger Larsen, The center-back, The defender, Rosler, Haksabanovic, Johnsen, The midfielder, Bolin, The forward, Busanello.
Referee: The German referee (from Germany)
Team News: Rangers v Braga
The Glasgow side: Butland, The defender, The center-back, The defender, Aarons, Barron, Diomande, Raskin, Gassama, The forward, Chermiti.
Braga: The goalkeeper, The defender, Lagerbielke, The defender, Arrey-Mbi, The midfielder, The experienced midfielder, Gorby, Martinez, Navarro, The striker.
Official: The Dutch referee (Holland)
Preamble
Forest vs Malmö and past encounters. The two clubs have a unique relationship, also competing in Forest's most recent continental tour in the 1995-96 Uefa Cup, but it is the continental championship decades past that entwines these two together, with the record-breaking signing Francis heading the only goal of a rather dull championship game to clinch eternal glory for the Forest supporters.
"Brian Clough and Peter Taylor, unassuming and low-key amid all the festivities and cheers, stood for a moment on a bench quietly watching the mafficking," noted the journalist. This represented an extraordinary accomplishment that it is unlikely to be replicated – from Second Division to European stage in three seasons."
It's also interesting to pause a little on Malmö, who became the initial and final Scandinavian side to reach the final under British coach Houghton.
The current fixture is a far cry from that peak, closer perhaps to the previous continental meeting between Forest and Malmö in that era. Forest are absolutely buzzing after thrashing Liverpool at Liverpool's home on Saturday, while Malmö have been inactive since early November following the end of the Swedish league season. The smart money is on the home team tonight.
Numerous other matches on offer in this clockwatch. The Scottish side have already been beaten by a Portuguese opponent this season. Rangers are last place of the competition table at the middle of the initial phase with no points whatsoever. They badly want a victory if they are to have any opportunity for a late surge for a playoff spot.
Updates will continue with all the late games and provide the latest scores from the previous games, including Aston Villa v Young Boys and Feyenoord v Celtic.
