Forest vs Malmö, Braga vs Rangers, and Additional – Europa League Coverage
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Major Moments
- Final whistle: Villa 2-1 Young Boys
- Score!: Joël Monteiro scores for Young Boys at 90+1
- Game over: Feyenoord 1-3 Celtic
- Starting XI: Starting players for Forest vs Malmö
- Lineups revealed: Starting XI for Rangers vs Braga
- Preamble
League Position
The initial outcomes greatly affect the Europa League table. The Glasgow side rose to 17th place and regained position in the protected qualification spots.
| Pos | Club | P | Difference | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
Full-time: Aston Villa 2-1 Young Boys
Aston Villa secured for the three points and moved level on points with table-toppers Midtjylland at the summit of the competition table. The English side made hard work of that during the closing minutes.
90+1: Monteiro Pulls One Back
Young Boys gave themselves a chance through Monteiro but had just four more minutes to score the leveler!
Celtic Secure Victory
A memorable and crucial win for the Glasgow side. Even after falling 1-0 down, Celtic responded strongly with goals from Yang, the Japanese midfielder and Nygren.
Latest Action
The Birmingham side, concurrently, retained a 2-0 lead over Young Boys with around five minutes left at the stadium.
Malen's second goal there caused dramatic events in the opposition stands, with Young Boys supporters engaging with police. Punches were thrown and projectiles hurled at both the police and at the playing surface, with the player being struck in the head by a drinking vessel.
Lineups: Forest vs Malmö
Forest: Victor, Abbott, Milenkovic, Murillo, Morato, Yates, Sangare, Dominguez, McAtee, Hudson-Odoi, The striker.
Malmö FF: Ellborg, Larsen, Jansson, Duric, Rosler, The midfielder, The midfielder, Skogmar, Bolin, The forward, Busanello.
Official: Osmers (from Germany)
Team News: Rangers v Braga
The Light Blues: The goalkeeper, Tavernier, The center-back, Djiga, The full-back, Barron, Diomande, Raskin, The attacker, Danilo, Chermiti.
Braga: The goalkeeper, Gomez, Lagerbielke, Niakate, Arrey-Mbi, The midfielder, Joao Moutinho, The midfielder, The attacker, Navarro, The striker.
Match official: The Dutch referee (from Netherlands)
Historical Context
Nottingham Forest v Malmö and historical connections. The these sides have a unique relationship, also meeting in Forest's last European campaign in the UEFA Cup of 1995-96, but it is the premier competition final from 1979 that links these clubs, with the groundbreaking transfer the English forward netting the decisive goal of a largely forgettable match to clinch eternal glory for the the English club.
"Forest's famous bosses, modestly dressed amid all the colour and celebration, stood for a moment on a bench calmly observing the celebrations," wrote the match reporter. This represented an remarkable feat that it is unlikely to be replicated – from Second Division to European stage in three seasons."
It's also interesting to reflect upon Malmö, who became the pioneering and only Nordic team to reach the final under manager Houghton.
The current fixture is a far cry from that pinnacle, closer perhaps to the Uefa Cup first-round tie between Forest and Malmö in that era. Forest are full of confidence after defeating Liverpool convincingly at Anfield on Saturday, while Malmö have been inactive since 9 November following the end of the Swedish league season. The general expectation is on the English side tonight.
Additional games on offer in this clockwatch. The Glasgow club have already been beaten by a Portuguese opponent this season. Rangers are rock bottom of the 36-team Europa League standings at the half-way stage of the initial phase with exactly zero. They urgently require a victory if they are to have any opportunity for a late surge for a knockout position.
Coverage will persist with all nine of the 8pm kick-offs and provide the latest scores from the earlier matches, including the Birmingham match and Rotterdam vs Glasgow.
