Nottingham Forest v Malmö, Rangers v 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 defeated 1-3 by Celtic
- Lineups announced: Starting players for Forest vs Malmö
- Team news: Rangers and Braga lineups
- Opening notes
Latest Standings
These early results have significant impact on the Europa League table. Celtic have moved up to 17th position and regained position in the protected playoff places.
| Rank | Side | 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 |
Match Result: Villa 2-1 Young Boys
The English side clung on for the three points and became tied on points with leaders Midtjylland at the top of the competition table. The Birmingham club had difficulty of that in the final stages.
GOAL! Aston Villa 2-1 Young Boys (Joël Monteiro 90+1)
Young Boys earned a chance through Monteiro but were left with additional time to get the tying goal!
Full-time: Feyenoord 1-3 Celtic
A significant and important win for the Scottish team. Despite going 1-0 down, Celtic fought back with goals from Yang Hyun-jun, the Japanese midfielder and Benjamin Nygren.
Game Developments
Aston Villa, at the same time, retained a 2-0 lead over Young Boys with approximately five minutes left at the stadium.
Malen's double there sparked furious scenes in the away end, with Young Boys supporters clashing with police. Punches were thrown and objects thrown at both the authorities and at the playing surface, with the goalscorer being hit on the head by a drinking vessel.
Lineups: Forest vs Malmö
The Reds: The goalkeeper, The defender, Milenkovic, The defender, Morato, Yates, The defensive midfielder, The midfielder, McAtee, Hudson-Odoi, Kalimuendo.
The Swedish side: Ellborg, Stryger Larsen, Jansson, Duric, The full-back, The midfielder, The midfielder, Skogmar, The attacker, The forward, The striker.
Match official: Harm Osmers (from Germany)
Lineups: Rangers vs Braga
Rangers: Butland, Tavernier, Fernandez, The defender, The full-back, The midfielder, The midfielder, Raskin, The attacker, The forward, The striker.
The Portuguese side: The goalkeeper, The defender, The center-back, The defender, Arrey-Mbi, Zalazar, The experienced midfielder, Gorby, The attacker, Navarro, Ricardo Horta.
Official: The Dutch referee (from Netherlands)
Preamble
Forest vs Malmö and historical connections. The both teams have a unique relationship, also facing each other in Forest's most recent continental tour in the 1995-96 Uefa Cup, but it is the continental championship 46 years ago that links these clubs, with the groundbreaking transfer Francis heading the only goal of a pretty miserable final to secure historic victory for the Forest supporters.
"The legendary management duo, unassuming and low-key amid all the festivities and cheers, stood for a moment on a bench serenely viewing the mafficking," wrote the match reporter. Their achievement was an extraordinary accomplishment that it is hard to see being repeated – from the lower league to continental competition in just three years."
One should note to pause a little on Malmö, who became the first, and to date the last Scandinavian side to make the championship match under English manager Bob Houghton.
The current fixture is a far cry from that pinnacle, closer perhaps to the earlier European encounter between Forest and Malmö in the mid-nineties. Forest are absolutely buzzing after defeating Liverpool convincingly at Liverpool's home on Saturday, while Malmö have been inactive since last month following the conclusion of their domestic campaign. The general expectation is on the Forest tonight.
Plenty of other action on offer in this clockwatch. The Scottish side have already been defeated by a European rival this season. Rangers are rock bottom of the league rankings at the midpoint of the initial phase with precisely zero points. They badly want a victory if they are to have any hope of making a comeback for a qualification place.
Updates will continue with all the late games and provide the latest scores from the earlier matches, including Villa vs Young Boys and Rotterdam vs Glasgow.
