These early results have significant impact on the Europa League table. The Glasgow side rose to 17th position and returned to the secure knockout positions.
| Rank | Team | Played | Goal 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 |
Aston Villa secured for the three points and moved level on points with front-runners Midtjylland at the summit of the league phase standings. The English side struggled of that during the closing minutes.
The Swiss side created a lifeline through Monteiro but had just stoppage time to score the leveler!
A famous and valuable win for the Glasgow side. Even after falling 1-0 down, Celtic fought back with goals from Yang, the Japanese midfielder and the Swedish striker.
Aston Villa, meanwhile, held onto a 2-0 lead over Young Boys with approximately five minutes left at Villa Park.
The Dutch forward's brace there caused dramatic events in the visitors' section, with Swiss fans confronting police. Physical altercations occurred and items launched at both the officers and at the playing surface, with the player being hit on the head by a plastic cup.
Nottingham Forest: John Victor, Abbott, The center-back, Murillo, Morato, The midfielder, Sangare, The midfielder, McAtee, The winger, Kalimuendo.
Malmö: The goalkeeper, Larsen, Jansson, Duric, Rosler, The midfielder, Johnsen, The midfielder, The attacker, The forward, Busanello.
Referee: Harm Osmers (from Germany)
The Light Blues: The goalkeeper, Tavernier, Fernandez, Djiga, Aarons, Barron, The midfielder, Raskin, Gassama, Danilo, Chermiti.
Braga: Hornicek, Gomez, Lagerbielke, Niakate, The full-back, Zalazar, The experienced midfielder, Gorby, Martinez, Navarro, Horta.
Official: Lindhout (Holland)
Forest vs Malmö and historical connections. The both teams have a unique relationship, 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 Britain's first £1m player Francis heading the only goal of a rather dull championship game to claim legendary status for the red half of Nottingham.
"Brian Clough and Peter Taylor, unassuming and low-key amid all the festivities and cheers, stood for a moment on a bench serenely viewing the revelry," noted the journalist. Theirs has been an extraordinary accomplishment that it is hard to see being repeated – from the lower league to continental competition in three seasons."
One should note to consider Malmö, who became the pioneering and only Scandinavian side to reach the final under English manager Bob Houghton.
The current fixture is a far cry from that summit, 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 haven't kicked a competitive ball since 9 November following the conclusion of their domestic campaign. The popular prediction is on the home team tonight.
Additional games on offer in this live coverage. The Glasgow club have already been lost to a Portuguese opponent this season. Rangers are at the foot of the competition table at the midpoint of the league phase with no points whatsoever. They desperately need a victory if they are to have any opportunity for a late surge for a playoff spot.
Coverage will persist with all the late games and provide the most recent results from the earlier matches, including Villa vs Young Boys and Feyenoord v Celtic.
Elena Vance is a digital strategist and creative director with over a decade of experience in transforming brands through innovative design.