Nottingham Forest v Malmö, Rangers v Braga, and Additional – Europa League News
Match Coverage
Key Events
- Full-time: Aston Villa 2-1 Young Boys
- Score!: Aston Villa 2-1 Young Boys (Joël Monteiro 90+1)
- Full-time: Feyenoord defeated 1-3 by Celtic
- Starting XI: Forest and Malmö lineups
- Lineups revealed: Rangers and Braga lineups
- Opening notes
League Position
The initial outcomes strongly influence the league rankings. Celtic climbed to the 17th spot and regained position in the secure knockout positions.
| 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 |
Match Result: Villa 2-1 Young Boys
The English side clung on for the victory and moved level on points with front-runners Midtjylland at the top of the group rankings. The English side made hard work of that during the closing minutes.
Late Goal: Monteiro Scores
Young Boys earned a lifeline through Monteiro but were left with additional time to find an equaliser!
Glasgow Side Wins 3-1
A significant and important win for the Celtic. Although they went 1-0 down, Celtic roared back with goals from Yang, Reo Hatate and the Swedish striker.
Game Developments
The Birmingham side, meanwhile, held onto a 2-0 lead over Young Boys with approximately five minutes left at their home ground.
The Dutch forward's brace there sparked furious scenes in the visitors' section, with Swiss fans engaging with police. Punches were thrown and objects thrown at both the officers and at the playing surface, with the goalscorer being struck in the head by a throwable object.
Team News: Nottingham Forest v Malmö
Forest: The goalkeeper, Abbott, Milenkovic, The defender, The full-back, Yates, The defensive midfielder, The midfielder, The attacker, Hudson-Odoi, Kalimuendo.
Malmö FF: Ellborg, Stryger Larsen, The center-back, Duric, Rosler, The midfielder, Johnsen, Skogmar, The attacker, Gudjohnsen, Busanello.
Match official: Osmers (Germany)
Lineups: Rangers vs Braga
The Light Blues: Butland, The defender, Fernandez, The defender, The full-back, Barron, Diomande, The midfielder, Gassama, Danilo, The striker.
Braga: The goalkeeper, The defender, Lagerbielke, The defender, Arrey-Mbi, The midfielder, Moutinho, The midfielder, Martinez, Navarro, Horta.
Referee: Allard Lindhout (Netherlands)
Preamble
The European clash and past encounters. The both teams have a unique relationship, also facing each other in Forest's previous European adventure in the 1995-96 Uefa Cup, but it is the continental championship 46 years ago that connects these teams, with the record-breaking signing Trevor Francis scoring the winner of a largely forgettable match to clinch eternal glory for the Forest supporters.
"Brian Clough and Peter Taylor, grey-sweatered and anonymous amid all the festivities and cheers, stood for a moment on a bench serenely viewing the revelry," noted the journalist. This represented an remarkable feat that it is hard to see being repeated – from Second Division to continental competition in just three years."
One should note to reflect upon Malmö, who became the pioneering and only Swedish club to advance to the ultimate game under English manager Bob Houghton.
The current fixture is a distant from that pinnacle, closer perhaps to the earlier European encounter between Forest and Malmö in the mid-nineties. Forest are absolutely buzzing after thrashing Liverpool at the famous ground on Saturday, while Malmö haven't kicked a competitive ball since last month following the conclusion of their domestic campaign. The smart money is on the home team tonight.
Plenty of other action on offer in this clockwatch. Rangers have already been beaten by a European rival this season. Rangers are rock bottom of the competition table at the middle of the league phase with no points whatsoever. They desperately need a victory if they are to have any chance of achieving a late surge for a qualification place.
Updates will continue with all the late games and provide the current standings from the earlier matches, including Aston Villa v Young Boys and Rotterdam vs Glasgow.
