Forest vs Malmö, Braga vs Rangers, and Additional – Europa League Coverage
Live Updates
Key Events
- Full-time: Aston Villa 2-1 Young Boys
- GOAL!: Late goal from Monteiro makes it 2-1
- Full-time: Celtic 3-1 Feyenoord
- Starting XI: Forest and Malmö lineups
- Team news: Rangers and Braga lineups
- Opening notes
League Position
The initial outcomes have significant impact on the league rankings. Celtic have moved up to 17th place and are back in the protected playoff places.
| Rank | Side | Matches | Goal 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
Aston Villa secured for the win and went equal on points with leaders Midtjylland at the peak of the group rankings. Villa struggled of that at the end.
90+1: Monteiro Pulls One Back
The Swiss side created a chance through Monteiro but were left with additional time to find an equaliser!
Full-time: Feyenoord 1-3 Celtic
A memorable and crucial win for the Celtic. Despite going 1-0 down, Celtic roared back with goals from Yang Hyun-jun, the Japanese midfielder and Nygren.
Game Developments
The Birmingham side, meanwhile, maintained a 2-0 lead over Young Boys with around five minutes left at the stadium.
Malen's double there triggered intense reactions in the opposition stands, with visiting fans engaging with police. Physical altercations occurred and items launched at both the police and at the playing surface, with the player being hit on the head by a drinking vessel.
Lineups: Forest vs Malmö
The Reds: The goalkeeper, Abbott, The center-back, Murillo, Morato, The midfielder, Sangare, Dominguez, McAtee, Hudson-Odoi, Kalimuendo.
The Swedish side: Ellborg, Larsen, The center-back, Duric, Rosler, Haksabanovic, Johnsen, Skogmar, Bolin, Gudjohnsen, The striker.
Official: Osmers (Germany)
Starting Players
The Light Blues: Butland, Tavernier, Fernandez, Djiga, Aarons, The midfielder, Diomande, Raskin, Gassama, Danilo, Chermiti.
The Portuguese side: Hornicek, Gomez, Lagerbielke, Niakate, Arrey-Mbi, Zalazar, The experienced midfielder, Gorby, Martinez, Navarro, Horta.
Official: Allard Lindhout (Holland)
Preamble
Nottingham Forest v Malmö and memories of 1979. The both teams have a special connection, also facing each other in Forest's most recent continental tour in the 1995-96 Uefa Cup, but it is the continental championship decades past that links these clubs, with the groundbreaking transfer Francis heading the only goal of a rather dull championship game to secure historic victory for the the English club.
"The legendary management duo, modestly dressed amid all the excitement and joy, stood for a moment on a bench serenely viewing the revelry," wrote the match reporter. Theirs has been an extraordinary accomplishment that it is unlikely to be replicated – from Second Division to European stage in just three years."
One should note to pause a little on Malmö, who became the initial and final Swedish club to reach the final under manager Houghton.
Tonight's game is a far cry from that summit, closer perhaps to the earlier European encounter between Forest and Malmö in the mid-nineties. Forest are riding high after beating Liverpool 3-0 at Liverpool's home on Saturday, while Malmö have been inactive since early November following the completion of Allsvenskan. The general expectation is on the English side tonight.
Additional games on offer in this live coverage. The Scottish side have already been lost to a Braga this season. Rangers are at the foot of the competition table at the midpoint of the initial phase with precisely zero points. They desperately need a victory if they are to have any hope of making a recovery for a knockout position.
We'll keep you up to date with all nine of the 8pm kick-offs and provide the most recent results from the previous games, including the Birmingham match and Rotterdam vs Glasgow.
