Forest vs Malmö, Braga vs Rangers, and Additional – Europa League Coverage
Match Coverage
Major Moments
- Full-time: Villa 2-1 Young Boys
- GOAL!: Aston Villa 2-1 Young Boys (Joël Monteiro 90+1)
- Match concluded: Feyenoord defeated 1-3 by Celtic
- Team news: Starting players for Forest vs Malmö
- Lineups revealed: Starting XI for Rangers vs Braga
- Introduction
League Position
The initial outcomes have significant impact on the competition standings. Celtic have moved up to the 17th spot and regained position in the protected qualification spots.
| Position | Side | Played | Difference | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 win and moved level on points with front-runners Midtjylland at the top of the league phase standings. The English side had difficulty of that at the end.
Late Goal: Monteiro Scores
The Swiss side created a lifeline through Monteiro but had just additional time to score the leveler!
Full-time: Feyenoord 1-3 Celtic
A memorable and crucial win for the Celtic. Even after falling 1-0 down, Celtic responded strongly with goals from the Korean forward, Hatate and Nygren.
Game Developments
Aston Villa, at the same time, held onto a 2-0 lead over Young Boys with approximately five minutes left at their home ground.
Malen's second goal there sparked furious scenes in the opposition stands, with Swiss fans engaging with police. Scuffles broke out and objects thrown at both the officers and at the playing surface, with Malen himself being caught on the head by a plastic cup.
Starting XI Revealed
Forest: The goalkeeper, Abbott, Milenkovic, The defender, Morato, The midfielder, The defensive midfielder, Dominguez, The attacker, Hudson-Odoi, The striker.
Malmö FF: Ellborg, The defender, Jansson, Duric, Rosler, Haksabanovic, Johnsen, Skogmar, Bolin, The forward, Busanello.
Official: The German referee (German)
Starting Players
The Glasgow side: Butland, The defender, The center-back, Djiga, Aarons, Barron, The midfielder, The midfielder, The attacker, The forward, Chermiti.
The Portuguese side: Hornicek, Gomez, Lagerbielke, The defender, Arrey-Mbi, Zalazar, Joao Moutinho, Gorby, Martinez, Navarro, Horta.
Referee: The Dutch referee (Holland)
Match Background
Forest vs Malmö and memories of 1979. The two clubs have a special connection, also competing in Forest's most recent continental tour in the UEFA Cup of 1995-96, but it is the premier competition final decades past that links these clubs, with the record-breaking signing the English forward netting the decisive goal of a rather dull championship game to claim legendary status for the the English club.
"Forest's famous bosses, modestly dressed amid all the festivities and cheers, stood for a moment on a bench calmly observing the celebrations," wrote the match reporter. Their achievement was an extraordinary accomplishment that it is unlikely to be replicated – from the lower league to European football in three seasons."
Worth mentioning to pause a little on Malmö, who became the pioneering and only Swedish club to make the championship match under British coach Houghton.
The current fixture is a distant from that pinnacle, closer perhaps to the earlier European encounter between Forest and Malmö in 1995-96. Forest are absolutely buzzing after beating Liverpool 3-0 at Anfield on Saturday, while Malmö haven't kicked a competitive ball since early November following the conclusion of their domestic campaign. The general expectation is on the Forest tonight.
Numerous other matches on offer in this live coverage. The Glasgow club have already been lost to a Portuguese opponent this season. Rangers are rock bottom of the league rankings at the midpoint of the group stage with precisely zero points. They badly want a victory if they are to have any opportunity for a late surge for a knockout position.
Updates will continue with all nine of the 8pm kick-offs and provide the latest scores from the earlier matches, including Aston Villa v Young Boys and the Dutch-Scottish clash.