Nottingham Forest v Malmö, Rangers v Braga, and More – UEFA Europa League Coverage
Match Coverage
Key Events
- Match ended: Young Boys 1-2 Aston Villa
- Goal scored!: Joël Monteiro scores for Young Boys at 90+1
- Game over: Feyenoord 1-3 Celtic
- Lineups announced: Starting players for Forest vs Malmö
- Lineups revealed: Starting XI for Rangers vs Braga
- Preamble
Latest Standings
The opening scores strongly influence the Europa League table. Celtic have moved up to the 17th spot and returned to the protected knockout positions.
| Position | Team | P | 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 |
Final Score: Aston Villa 2-1
Villa managed to hold on for the victory and moved level on points with leaders Midtjylland at the summit of the competition table. The English side made hard work of that during the closing minutes.
Late Goal: Monteiro Scores
Young Boys gave themselves a hope through Monteiro but had just additional time to get the tying goal!
Celtic Secure Victory
A memorable and crucial win for the Scottish team. Although they went 1-0 down, Celtic responded strongly with goals from the Korean forward, Hatate and Benjamin Nygren.
Match Updates
The Birmingham side, meanwhile, maintained a 2-0 lead over Young Boys with around five minutes left at Villa Park.
Malen's second goal there sparked furious scenes in the visitors' section, with Swiss fans confronting police. Scuffles broke out and items launched at both the authorities and onto the pitch, with the goalscorer being caught on the head by a plastic cup.
Starting XI Revealed
Forest: John Victor, Abbott, Milenkovic, The defender, Morato, The midfielder, Sangare, The midfielder, The attacker, The winger, Kalimuendo.
Malmö FF: Ellborg, Stryger Larsen, Jansson, The defender, Rosler, The midfielder, Johnsen, The midfielder, The attacker, Gudjohnsen, Busanello.
Referee: Osmers (from Germany)
Team News: Rangers v Braga
The Light Blues: Butland, Tavernier, Fernandez, The defender, The full-back, Barron, Diomande, Raskin, The attacker, Danilo, The striker.
The Portuguese side: Hornicek, Gomez, Lagerbielke, Niakate, Arrey-Mbi, Zalazar, Moutinho, Gorby, The attacker, Navarro, Horta.
Official: Lindhout (Holland)
Historical Context
The European clash and memories of 1979. The both teams have a historical link, also competing in Forest's last European campaign in the UEFA Cup of 1995-96, but it is the European Cup final from 1979 that connects these teams, with the record-breaking signing Trevor Francis heading the only goal of a largely forgettable match to claim legendary status for the Forest supporters.
"Brian Clough and Peter Taylor, unassuming and low-key amid all the colour and celebration, stood for a moment on a bench serenely viewing the revelry," noted the journalist. Theirs has been an remarkable feat that it is unlikely to be replicated – from the lower league to European football in a short period."
Worth mentioning to pause a little on Malmö, who became the pioneering and only Scandinavian side to reach the final under manager Houghton.
This match is a far cry from that summit, closer perhaps to the earlier European encounter between Forest and Malmö in 1995-96. Forest are absolutely buzzing after thrashing Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday, while Malmö haven't kicked a competitive ball since last month following the end of the Swedish league season. The general expectation is on the home team tonight.
Plenty of other action on offer in this clockwatch. Rangers have already been beaten by a Portuguese opponent this season. Rangers are at the foot of the competition table at the midpoint of the group stage with no points whatsoever. They badly want a victory if they are to have any hope of making a late surge for a playoff spot.
We'll keep you up to date with all nine of the 8pm kick-offs and provide the most recent results from the concluded fixtures, including Aston Villa v Young Boys and Feyenoord v Celtic.
