Malmö vs Nottingham Forest, Braga vs Rangers, and Additional – Europa League Coverage

League Position

These early results have significant impact on the competition standings. The Glasgow side rose to the 17th spot and returned to the secure knockout positions.

Match Result: Villa 2-1 Young Boys

Villa managed to hold on for the win and became tied on points with leaders Midtjylland at the summit of the league phase standings. The English side struggled of that at the end.

90+1: Monteiro Pulls One Back

Young Boys earned a lifeline through Monteiro but had just four more minutes to find an equaliser!

Glasgow Side Wins 3-1

A famous and valuable win for the Celtic. Although they went 1-0 down, Celtic responded strongly with goals from Yang Hyun-jun, Reo Hatate and Nygren.

Game Developments

Aston Villa, meanwhile, held onto 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 opposition stands, with visiting fans engaging with police. Punches were thrown and projectiles hurled at both the officers and toward the field, with Malen himself being hit on the head by a plastic cup.

Lineups: Forest vs Malmö

Nottingham Forest: The goalkeeper, Abbott, Milenkovic, The defender, Morato, The midfielder, Sangare, Dominguez, McAtee, Hudson-Odoi, The striker.

The Swedish side: The goalkeeper, Larsen, Jansson, Duric, Rosler, Haksabanovic, Johnsen, Skogmar, Bolin, Gudjohnsen, Busanello.

Match official: The German referee (German)

Lineups: Rangers vs Braga

The Light Blues: Butland, Tavernier, The center-back, The defender, The full-back, Barron, Diomande, Raskin, Gassama, Danilo, The striker.

The Portuguese side: The goalkeeper, Gomez, Lagerbielke, Niakate, Arrey-Mbi, Zalazar, Moutinho, Gorby, Martinez, Navarro, Ricardo Horta.

Referee: Lindhout (from Netherlands)

Historical Context

The European clash and historical connections. The two clubs 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 premier competition final 46 years ago that connects these teams, with the record-breaking signing the English forward netting the decisive goal of a largely forgettable match to clinch eternal glory for the the English club.

"Brian Clough and Peter Taylor, grey-sweatered and anonymous amid all the colour and celebration, stood for a moment on a bench quietly watching the mafficking," wrote the match reporter. Theirs has been an remarkable feat that it is difficult to imagine happening again – from second tier to European stage in just three years."

Worth mentioning to consider Malmö, who became the first, and to date the last Nordic team to make the championship match under manager Houghton.

The current fixture is a very different to that peak, closer perhaps to the Uefa Cup first-round tie between Forest and Malmö in the mid-nineties. Forest are full of confidence after defeating Liverpool convincingly at Anfield on Saturday, while Malmö haven't played officially since last month following the end of the Swedish league season. The popular prediction is on the English side tonight.

Plenty of other action on offer in this clockwatch. Rangers have already been defeated by a European rival this season. Rangers are last place of the competition table at the half-way stage of the initial phase with exactly zero. They desperately need a victory if they are to have any hope of making 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 Feyenoord v Celtic.