Forest vs Malmö, Braga vs Rangers, and Additional – Europa League Updates
Match Coverage
Major Moments
- Full-time: Aston Villa 2-1 Young Boys
- Goal scored!: Aston Villa 2-1 Young Boys (Joël Monteiro 90+1)
- Match concluded: Feyenoord 1-3 Celtic
- Starting XI: Nottingham Forest v Malmö teams!
- Starting players: Rangers and Braga lineups
- Opening notes
Current Table
The initial outcomes strongly influence the league rankings. Celtic climbed to the 17th spot and returned to the safety of knockout positions.
| Position | Side | Matches | GD | 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 win and went equal on points with leaders Midtjylland at the peak of the group rankings. Villa made hard work of that in the final stages.
90+1: Monteiro Pulls One Back
Young Boys earned a lifeline through Monteiro but had just additional time to score the leveler!
Celtic Secure Victory
A famous and valuable win for the Glasgow side. Although they went 1-0 down, Celtic roared back with goals from Yang Hyun-jun, Hatate and Nygren.
Game Developments
The Birmingham side, meanwhile, maintained a 2-0 lead over Young Boys with around five minutes left at the stadium.
Malen's second goal there triggered intense reactions in the opposition stands, with Young Boys supporters engaging with police. Scuffles broke out and projectiles hurled at both the officers and onto the pitch, with the goalscorer being hit on the head by a drinking vessel.
Starting XI Revealed
Forest: Victor, Abbott, Milenkovic, The defender, Morato, Yates, The defensive midfielder, Dominguez, The attacker, Hudson-Odoi, Kalimuendo.
Malmö FF: Ellborg, Larsen, The center-back, The defender, The full-back, Haksabanovic, The midfielder, Skogmar, Bolin, Gudjohnsen, Busanello.
Referee: The German referee (from Germany)
Team News: Rangers v Braga
Rangers: Butland, Tavernier, The center-back, Djiga, Aarons, Barron, The midfielder, The midfielder, Gassama, The forward, Chermiti.
The Portuguese side: The goalkeeper, Gomez, Lagerbielke, Niakate, The full-back, The midfielder, The experienced midfielder, Gorby, The attacker, Navarro, Horta.
Referee: Allard Lindhout (Holland)
Historical Context
Forest vs Malmö and historical connections. The both teams have a unique relationship, also meeting in Forest's most recent continental tour in the UEFA Cup of 1995-96, but it is the continental championship decades past that connects these teams, with Britain's first £1m player Francis heading the only goal of a largely forgettable match to claim legendary status for the the English club.
"Brian Clough and Peter Taylor, modestly dressed amid all the festivities and cheers, stood for a moment on a bench calmly observing the celebrations," noted the journalist. Their achievement was an remarkable feat that it is hard to see being repeated – from second tier to European stage in three seasons."
It's also interesting to pause a little on Malmö, who became the initial and final Swedish club to make the championship match under English manager Bob Houghton.
Tonight's game is a far cry from that pinnacle, closer perhaps to the earlier European encounter between Forest and Malmö in the mid-nineties. Forest are absolutely buzzing after defeating Liverpool convincingly at the famous ground on Saturday, while Malmö have been inactive since last month following the completion of Allsvenskan. The popular prediction is on the English side tonight.
Plenty of other action on offer in this live coverage. Rangers have already been defeated by a Braga this season. Rangers are at the foot of the league rankings at the middle of the initial phase with exactly zero. They urgently require a victory if they are to have any hope of making a recovery for a knockout position.
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.
