Nottingham Forest v Malmö, Rangers vs Braga, and Additional – UEFA Europa League News
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Key Events
- Match ended: Young Boys 1-2 Aston Villa
- Score!: Late goal from Monteiro makes it 2-1
- Game over: Celtic 3-1 Feyenoord
- Team news: Nottingham Forest v Malmö teams!
- Starting players: Rangers and Braga lineups
- Opening notes
League Position
These early results strongly influence the competition standings. The Glasgow side rose to the 17th spot and returned to the protected qualification spots.
| Pos | Team | Matches | 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 |
Match Result: Villa 2-1 Young Boys
Aston Villa secured for the win and moved level on points with table-toppers Midtjylland at the top of the competition table. The English side struggled of that at the end.
90+1: Monteiro Pulls One Back
Young Boys earned a chance through Monteiro but had just stoppage time to find an equaliser!
Full-time: Feyenoord 1-3 Celtic
A significant and important win for the Scottish team. Although they went 1-0 down, Celtic fought back with goals from the Korean forward, Hatate and the Swedish striker.
Game Developments
The Birmingham side, concurrently, held onto a 2-0 lead over Young Boys with approximately five minutes left at the stadium.
The Dutch forward's brace there sparked furious scenes in the away end, with visiting fans engaging with police. Physical altercations occurred and items launched at both the officers and toward the field, with the player being hit on the head by a drinking vessel.
Lineups: Forest vs Malmö
Forest: John Victor, The defender, Milenkovic, Murillo, Morato, Yates, Sangare, Dominguez, McAtee, The winger, Kalimuendo.
The Swedish side: The goalkeeper, Stryger Larsen, The center-back, Duric, Rosler, Haksabanovic, Johnsen, The midfielder, The attacker, Gudjohnsen, The striker.
Match official: Osmers (Germany)
Lineups: Rangers vs Braga
Rangers: Butland, Tavernier, The center-back, Djiga, Aarons, Barron, Diomande, Raskin, Gassama, Danilo, The striker.
The Portuguese side: Hornicek, Gomez, The center-back, The defender, Arrey-Mbi, Zalazar, Joao Moutinho, The midfielder, The attacker, Navarro, The striker.
Match official: Lindhout (Netherlands)
Historical Context
Forest vs Malmö and memories of 1979. The both teams have a historical link, also meeting in Forest's last European campaign in the UEFA Cup of 1995-96, but it is the continental championship decades past that entwines these two together, with the groundbreaking transfer Trevor Francis scoring the winner of a largely forgettable match to claim legendary status for the the English club.
"Brian Clough and Peter Taylor, unassuming and low-key amid all the festivities and cheers, stood for a moment on a bench quietly watching the celebrations," commented the writer. Their achievement was an outstanding achievement that it is difficult to imagine happening again – from the lower league to European football in three seasons."
It's also interesting to pause a little on Malmö, who became the pioneering and only Swedish club to make the championship match under English manager Bob Houghton.
Tonight's game is a far cry from that pinnacle, closer perhaps to the earlier European encounter between Forest and Malmö in the mid-nineties. Forest are full of confidence after beating Liverpool 3-0 at Anfield on Saturday, while Malmö have been inactive since early November following the conclusion of their domestic campaign. The general expectation is on the home team tonight.
Numerous other matches on offer in this live coverage. The Glasgow club have already been beaten by a European rival this season. Rangers are last place of the league rankings at the half-way stage of the league phase with precisely zero points. They urgently require a victory if they are to have any opportunity for a comeback for a knockout position.
Coverage will persist with all the late games and provide the most recent results from the earlier matches, including Villa vs Young Boys and the Dutch-Scottish clash.