Malmö vs Nottingham Forest, Rangers vs Braga, and More – Europa League Updates
Live Updates
Key Events
- Final whistle: Young Boys 1-2 Aston Villa
- GOAL!: Late goal from Monteiro makes it 2-1
- Full-time: Feyenoord defeated 1-3 by Celtic
- Team news: Forest and Malmö lineups
- Team news: Starting XI for Rangers vs Braga
- Opening notes
League Position
The initial outcomes strongly influence the Europa League table. Celtic have moved up to 17th place and are back in the secure qualification spots.
| Position | Club | Played | 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 |
Final Score: Aston Villa 2-1
The English side clung on for the three points and became tied on points with table-toppers Midtjylland at the top of the competition table. The Birmingham club made hard work of that during the closing minutes.
GOAL! Aston Villa 2-1 Young Boys (Joël Monteiro 90+1)
Young Boys gave themselves a lifeline through Monteiro but only have stoppage time to get the tying goal!
Celtic Secure Victory
A famous and valuable win for the Celtic. Even after falling 1-0 down, Celtic responded strongly with goals from Yang, the Japanese midfielder and the Swedish striker.
Match Updates
Aston Villa, meanwhile, retained a 2-0 lead over Young Boys with around five minutes left at Villa Park.
Malen's second goal there triggered intense reactions in the opposition stands, with Swiss fans engaging with police. Punches were thrown and items launched at both the authorities and onto the pitch, with the player being caught on the head by a drinking vessel.
Starting XI Revealed
Forest: The goalkeeper, Abbott, Milenkovic, Murillo, The full-back, The midfielder, Sangare, Dominguez, The attacker, The winger, Kalimuendo.
The Swedish side: Ellborg, Larsen, Jansson, Duric, The full-back, Haksabanovic, The midfielder, Skogmar, The attacker, Gudjohnsen, Busanello.
Match official: Osmers (from Germany)
Team News: Rangers v Braga
Rangers: Butland, Tavernier, The center-back, Djiga, Aarons, Barron, Diomande, The midfielder, Gassama, Danilo, Chermiti.
The Portuguese side: Hornicek, Gomez, Lagerbielke, The defender, Arrey-Mbi, Zalazar, The experienced midfielder, The midfielder, The attacker, Navarro, The striker.
Match official: Lindhout (from Netherlands)
Preamble
Nottingham Forest v Malmö and historical connections. The two clubs have a unique relationship, also meeting in Forest's previous European adventure in the mid-90s European competition, but it is the continental championship decades past that connects these teams, with the record-breaking signing the English forward scoring the winner of a pretty miserable final to clinch eternal glory for the red half of Nottingham.
"Forest's famous bosses, modestly dressed amid all the colour and celebration, stood for a moment on a bench calmly observing the revelry," commented the writer. This represented an extraordinary accomplishment that it is unlikely to be replicated – from Second Division to continental competition in a short period."
One should note to consider Malmö, who became the initial and final Scandinavian side to advance to the ultimate game under British coach Houghton.
The current fixture is a distant from that pinnacle, closer perhaps to the previous continental meeting between Forest and Malmö in that era. Forest are riding high after beating Liverpool 3-0 at Anfield on Saturday, while Malmö have been inactive since 9 November following the completion of Allsvenskan. The general expectation is on the Forest tonight.
Plenty of other action on offer in this match tracking. The Glasgow club have already been beaten by a Portuguese opponent this season. Rangers are at the foot of the 36-team Europa League standings at the middle of the group stage with exactly zero. They desperately need a victory if they are to have any hope of making a comeback for a qualification place.
Updates will continue with all nine of the 8pm kick-offs and provide the most recent results from the concluded fixtures, including the Birmingham match and the Dutch-Scottish clash.
