Forest vs Malmö, Rangers v Braga, and More – UEFA Europa League Coverage
Live Updates
Key Events
- Final whistle: Villa 2-1 Young Boys
- Goal scored!: Late goal from Monteiro makes it 2-1
- Match concluded: Feyenoord defeated 1-3 by Celtic
- Team news: Nottingham Forest v Malmö teams!
- Lineups revealed: Rangers v Braga teams!
- Preamble
Current Table
The opening scores greatly affect the Europa League table. Celtic climbed to the 17th spot and returned to the protected playoff places.
| Pos | Club | P | 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 three points and went equal on points with leaders Midtjylland at the top of the league phase standings. The English side made hard work of that during the closing minutes.
90+1: Monteiro Pulls One Back
Young Boys earned a hope through Monteiro but were left with four more minutes to score the leveler!
Celtic Secure Victory
A memorable and crucial win for the Celtic. Despite going 1-0 down, Celtic fought back with goals from the Korean forward, Reo Hatate and Benjamin Nygren.
Match Updates
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 opposition stands, with visiting fans clashing with police. Physical altercations occurred and objects thrown at both the police and toward the field, with the goalscorer being hit on the head by a drinking vessel.
Starting XI Revealed
Nottingham Forest: The goalkeeper, The defender, Milenkovic, Murillo, The full-back, The midfielder, Sangare, The midfielder, The attacker, The winger, Kalimuendo.
The Swedish side: The goalkeeper, Stryger Larsen, Jansson, Duric, Rosler, The midfielder, Johnsen, Skogmar, The attacker, Gudjohnsen, Busanello.
Match official: Harm Osmers (German)
Lineups: Rangers vs Braga
The Light Blues: Butland, The defender, Fernandez, Djiga, The full-back, Barron, Diomande, Raskin, The attacker, Danilo, Chermiti.
The Arsenalistas: Hornicek, Gomez, Lagerbielke, The defender, Arrey-Mbi, Zalazar, Moutinho, Gorby, The attacker, The forward, Ricardo Horta.
Match official: Lindhout (Netherlands)
Historical Context
The European clash and past encounters. The both teams have a special connection, also facing each other in Forest's last European campaign in the 1995-96 Uefa Cup, but it is the European Cup final from 1979 that entwines these two together, with the record-breaking signing the English forward scoring the winner of a pretty miserable final to claim legendary status for the red half of Nottingham.
"Brian Clough and Peter Taylor, grey-sweatered and anonymous amid all the festivities and cheers, stood for a moment on a bench calmly observing the revelry," noted the journalist. Theirs has been an extraordinary accomplishment that it is unlikely to be replicated – from Second Division to continental competition in three seasons."
It's also interesting to pause a little on Malmö, who became the pioneering and only Nordic team to reach the final under manager Houghton.
This match is a far cry from that summit, closer perhaps to the Uefa Cup first-round tie 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 have been inactive since 9 November following the completion of Allsvenskan. The general expectation is on the Forest tonight.
Additional games on offer in this live coverage. The Glasgow club have already been lost to a Braga this season. Rangers are at the foot of the 36-team Europa League standings at the midpoint of the initial phase with no points whatsoever. They desperately need a victory if they are to have any opportunity for a recovery 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 the Birmingham match and Feyenoord v Celtic.
