Nottingham, Nov 27: The fifth round of games in the Europa League on Thursday includes two rematches of past European Cup finals.
Nottingham Forest hosts Sweden’s Malmö FF, which was a semi-professional team in 1979 when it lost the European Cup final 1-0 in Munich to the English side, which also went on to retain the title the following year.
Forest has invited players from both 1979 teams and they will be greeting the fans before the Europa League match at the City Ground.
The legendary forward Trevor Francis, who headed the only goal of the game in the final 46 years ago, died in 2023.
Forest is boosted by a 3-0 triumph over Liverpool at Anfield in the Premier League on Saturday and is seeking a second victory in this season’s Europa League, under new coach Sean Dyche. Malmö is yet to win.
Feyenoord also faces Celtic, the side it beat in the 1970 European Cup final.
The two teams have been struggling in the second-tier Europa League and three points would be vital as they both battle to advance to the knockout stages. Feyenoord is 29th in the 36-team table, Celtic 27th.
Aston Villa seek a fourth win in five games, against Swiss side Young Boys, which lost 3-0 in Bern to the English team in the Champions League last season.
Europa League leader Midtjylland visits Serie A pacesetter Roma, which is looking to bounce back from two home losses in the competition.
In other games, Real Betis meets Utrecht, Maccabi Tel Aviv plays Lyon and point-less Rangers host Braga.
In the third-tier Conference League, Crystal Palace travels to Strasbourg and Fiorentina faces AEK Athens.
As the Europa League enters a decisive phase, Thursday’s fixtures serve as a reminder that European football is as much about history as it is about the present. Nottingham Forest’s meeting with Malmö, steeped in echoes of Munich 1979, offers a poignant bridge between eras — a night when past heroes will return to the City Ground even as a new generation battles to carve out its own legacy under Sean Dyche. Similar sentiments will swirl around Feyenoord versus Celtic, another reunion shaped by old rivalries and shifting fortunes. Yet nostalgia alone will not influence the standings, with each side fighting for crucial points in tight groups where one slip could cost progression. (AP)
