Forest vs Malmö, Rangers vs Braga, and More – UEFA Europa League News
Match Coverage
Major Moments
- Match ended: Aston Villa 2-1 Young Boys
- Goal scored!: Joël Monteiro scores for Young Boys at 90+1
- Match concluded: Feyenoord 1-3 Celtic
- Lineups announced: Forest and Malmö lineups
- Starting players: Rangers and Braga lineups
- Opening notes
Current Table
These early results greatly affect the Europa League table. Celtic climbed to 17th position and regained position in the safety of qualification spots.
| Rank | Club | Matches | 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
Villa managed to hold on for the win and became tied on points with table-toppers Midtjylland at the peak of the league phase standings. The English side struggled of that at the end.
GOAL! Aston Villa 2-1 Young Boys (Joël Monteiro 90+1)
Young Boys gave themselves a lifeline through Monteiro but only have four more minutes to score the leveler!
Glasgow Side Wins 3-1
A significant and important win for the Scottish team. Although they went 1-0 down, Celtic responded strongly with goals from Yang Hyun-jun, Hatate and the Swedish striker.
Game Developments
The Birmingham side, at the same time, held onto a 2-0 lead over Young Boys with around five minutes left at Villa Park.
Malen's double there triggered intense reactions in the away end, with Young Boys supporters confronting police. Physical altercations occurred and objects thrown at both the authorities and onto the pitch, with Malen himself being caught on the head by a plastic cup.
Lineups: Forest vs Malmö
The Reds: John Victor, Abbott, The center-back, The defender, Morato, The midfielder, Sangare, Dominguez, McAtee, Hudson-Odoi, Kalimuendo.
The Swedish side: Ellborg, The defender, Jansson, Duric, Rosler, The midfielder, The midfielder, The midfielder, Bolin, Gudjohnsen, Busanello.
Referee: Harm Osmers (Germany)
Team News: Rangers v Braga
Rangers: Butland, Tavernier, The center-back, The defender, Aarons, Barron, The midfielder, Raskin, Gassama, Danilo, Chermiti.
Braga: Hornicek, Gomez, The center-back, The defender, Arrey-Mbi, Zalazar, The experienced midfielder, Gorby, Martinez, Navarro, Ricardo Horta.
Match official: Allard Lindhout (Holland)
Historical Context
The European clash and historical connections. The both teams have a historical link, also meeting in Forest's previous European adventure in the UEFA Cup of 1995-96, but it is the continental championship 46 years ago that entwines these two together, with Britain's first £1m player Francis scoring the winner of a largely forgettable match to clinch eternal glory for the red half of Nottingham.
"Brian Clough and Peter Taylor, unassuming and low-key amid all the colour and celebration, stood for a moment on a bench quietly watching the celebrations," noted the journalist. Their achievement was an extraordinary accomplishment that it is hard to see being repeated – from the lower league to European football in a short period."
One should note to consider Malmö, who became the first, and to date the last Swedish club to make the championship match under manager Houghton.
Tonight's game is a distant from that peak, closer perhaps to the Uefa Cup first-round tie between Forest and Malmö in that era. Forest are absolutely buzzing after thrashing Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday, while Malmö haven't played officially since 9 November following the end of the Swedish league season. The popular prediction is on the Forest tonight.
Additional games on offer in this match tracking. The Scottish side have already been defeated by a Portuguese opponent this season. Rangers are rock bottom of the 36-team Europa League standings at the half-way stage of the group stage with precisely zero points. They badly want a victory if they are to have any hope of making a late surge for a qualification place.
Coverage will persist with all nine of the 8pm kick-offs and provide the most recent results from the previous games, including Aston Villa v Young Boys and Feyenoord v Celtic.
