Nottingham Forest v Malmö, Rangers vs Braga, and Additional – Europa League Coverage
Match Coverage
Major Moments
- Full-time: Young Boys 1-2 Aston Villa
- Goal scored!: Late goal from Monteiro makes it 2-1
- Match concluded: Feyenoord 1-3 Celtic
- Team news: Nottingham Forest v Malmö teams!
- Starting players: Starting XI for Rangers vs Braga
- Opening notes
Current Table
These early results have significant impact on the Europa League table. The Glasgow side rose to the 17th spot and returned to the protected playoff places.
| Pos | Team | Matches | GD | 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
The English side clung on for the win and went equal on points with leaders Midtjylland at the top of the league phase standings. Villa had difficulty of that at the end.
Late Goal: Monteiro Scores
The Swiss side created a lifeline through Monteiro but only have four more minutes to get the tying goal!
Full-time: Feyenoord 1-3 Celtic
A famous and valuable win for the Scottish team. Although they went 1-0 down, Celtic roared back with goals from Yang Hyun-jun, Hatate and Nygren.
Game Developments
Villa, at the same time, retained a 2-0 lead over Young Boys with around five minutes left at the stadium.
The Dutch forward's brace there caused dramatic events in the away end, with Swiss fans confronting police. Physical altercations occurred and items launched at both the police and toward the field, with Malen himself being caught on the head by a drinking vessel.
Team News: Nottingham Forest v Malmö
The Reds: The goalkeeper, Abbott, The center-back, Murillo, Morato, Yates, The defensive midfielder, Dominguez, McAtee, The winger, Kalimuendo.
Malmö: Ellborg, The defender, The center-back, Duric, The full-back, Haksabanovic, The midfielder, Skogmar, Bolin, Gudjohnsen, Busanello.
Match official: Osmers (German)
Lineups: Rangers vs Braga
Rangers: Butland, Tavernier, The center-back, The defender, Aarons, The midfielder, Diomande, Raskin, The attacker, Danilo, Chermiti.
The Portuguese side: Hornicek, Gomez, The center-back, Niakate, Arrey-Mbi, The midfielder, Joao Moutinho, Gorby, Martinez, The forward, Ricardo Horta.
Referee: The Dutch referee (Netherlands)
Match Background
Nottingham Forest v Malmö and past encounters. The two clubs have a historical link, also meeting in Forest's most recent continental tour in the UEFA Cup of 1995-96, but it is the European Cup final 46 years ago that connects these teams, with the record-breaking signing Francis heading the only goal of a rather dull championship game to secure historic victory for the Forest supporters.
"Forest's famous bosses, modestly dressed amid all the excitement and joy, stood for a moment on a bench quietly watching the mafficking," noted the journalist. This represented an extraordinary accomplishment that it is difficult to imagine happening again – from the lower league to European stage in just three years."
One should note to consider Malmö, who became the pioneering and only Scandinavian side to make the championship match under British coach Houghton.
Tonight's game is a very different to that peak, closer perhaps to the Uefa Cup first-round tie between Forest and Malmö in that era. Forest are riding high after beating Liverpool 3-0 at Anfield on Saturday, while Malmö haven't kicked a competitive ball since last month following the conclusion of their domestic campaign. The popular prediction is on the home team tonight.
Numerous other matches on offer in this clockwatch. Rangers have already been beaten by a Portuguese opponent this season. Rangers are rock bottom of the competition table at the midpoint of the initial phase with precisely zero points. They urgently require a victory if they are to have any chance of achieving a comeback for a playoff spot.
Updates will continue with all the late games and provide the current standings from the earlier matches, including Villa vs Young Boys and the Dutch-Scottish clash.
