Forest vs Malmö, Rangers vs Braga, and More – UEFA Europa League Coverage
Match Coverage
Major Moments
- Full-time: Aston Villa 2-1 Young Boys
- Goal scored!: Late goal from Monteiro makes it 2-1
- Match concluded: Feyenoord 1-3 Celtic
- Team news: Forest and Malmö lineups
- Lineups revealed: Starting XI for Rangers vs Braga
- Introduction
Latest Standings
The opening scores strongly influence the league rankings. The Glasgow side rose to 17th place and regained position in the secure knockout positions.
| Position | Club | Matches | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 win and became tied on points with leaders Midtjylland at the top of the league phase standings. 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 stoppage time to score the leveler!
Full-time: Feyenoord 1-3 Celtic
A significant and important win for the Glasgow side. Despite going 1-0 down, Celtic roared back with goals from the Korean forward, the Japanese midfielder and the Swedish striker.
Match Updates
The Birmingham side, meanwhile, retained a 2-0 lead over Young Boys with roughly 300 seconds left at the stadium.
The Dutch forward's brace there sparked furious scenes in the opposition stands, with Swiss fans clashing with police. Physical altercations occurred and projectiles hurled at both the officers and toward the field, with the goalscorer being caught on the head by a drinking vessel.
Team News: Nottingham Forest v Malmö
Forest: The goalkeeper, Abbott, The center-back, Murillo, Morato, The midfielder, Sangare, Dominguez, McAtee, Hudson-Odoi, The striker.
Malmö: Ellborg, Larsen, Jansson, The defender, Rosler, Haksabanovic, Johnsen, Skogmar, Bolin, Gudjohnsen, Busanello.
Match official: The German referee (from Germany)
Starting Players
The Glasgow side: Butland, Tavernier, Fernandez, The defender, Aarons, The midfielder, Diomande, Raskin, Gassama, Danilo, Chermiti.
The Portuguese side: The goalkeeper, The defender, Lagerbielke, Niakate, The full-back, The midfielder, Moutinho, Gorby, The attacker, The forward, Horta.
Referee: The Dutch referee (Holland)
Match Background
Nottingham Forest v Malmö and memories of 1979. The these sides have a unique relationship, also competing in Forest's most recent continental tour in the UEFA Cup of 1995-96, but it is the continental championship from 1979 that links these clubs, with the record-breaking signing Trevor Francis heading the only goal of a pretty miserable final to claim legendary status for the the English club.
"Brian Clough and Peter Taylor, unassuming and low-key amid all the excitement and joy, stood for a moment on a bench quietly watching the mafficking," commented the writer. This represented an extraordinary accomplishment that it is hard to see being repeated – from Second Division to European football in a short period."
Worth mentioning to reflect upon Malmö, who became the initial and final Scandinavian side to reach the final under English manager Bob 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 the mid-nineties. Forest are riding high after beating Liverpool 3-0 at Anfield on Saturday, while Malmö haven't played officially since last month following the end of the Swedish league season. The general expectation is on the Forest tonight.
Numerous other matches on offer in this clockwatch. The Scottish side have already been beaten by a Portuguese opponent this season. Rangers are last place of the competition table at the half-way stage of the initial phase with precisely zero points. They desperately need a victory if they are to have any chance of achieving a late surge for a playoff spot.
Coverage will persist with all the evening matches and provide the current standings from the earlier matches, including the Birmingham match and Rotterdam vs Glasgow.
