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A good night for Unai Emery and a bad one for Ange Postecoglou, while Rangers and Aberdeen narrowly lost Here’s Ben Fisher’s verdict from the City Ground. Thanks for joining me, it’s been fun. Until next time … Here’s Ed Aarons’ report from Lublin on Palace’s earlier victory … And a roundup of the early Europa League action. Here’s Ange Postecoglou: “Really disappointing. Really, really poor – the goals we conceded … key moments let us down, we haven’t shown as much desire as the opposition. It’s been the story of the last few games. ” Did refereeing decisions play a part? “We allowed them to play a part, it shouldn’t have come to that. We’re not winning games, which is what we need to do. “I heard [the chants at the end] – they’re fans, they want to see their team win. Does it surprise me? Nothing surprises me in football. We’ve just got to keep our heads up. I’ve not seen anything to suggest the players are not trying to take my ideas on board, but we’re not delivering in key moments. ” Aberdeen 2-3 Shakhtar Donetsk

AEK Larnaca 4-0 AZ Alkmaar

Celje 3-1 AEK Athens

Fiorentina 2-0 Sigma Olomouc

Legia Warsaw 0-1 Samsunspor

Rakow 2-0 Univ. Craiova

Shelbourne 0-0 Häcken

Slovan Bratislava 1-2 Strasbourg

Sparta Prague 4-1 Shamrock Rovers Basel 2-0 Stuttgart

Celta Vigo 3-1 PAOK

Porto 2-1 Red Star

Feyenoord 0-2 Aston Villa

Genk 0-1 Ferencvaros

Lyon 2-0 Salzburg

Maccabi Tel Aviv 1-3 Dinamo Zagreb

Nottingham Forest 2-3 Midtjylland

Sturm Graz 2-1 Rangers Forest have time to swing in a couple of dangerous crosses, but the visitors see it out for an impressive win. At full-time the boos ring out, following chants of “sacked in the morning” after Midtjylland’s winner. Six games without a win as Forest manager now for Big Ange. A job well done for Unai Emery’s side, who withstood first-half pressure before grabbing all three points with goals from Emi Buendía and John Mc Ginn. Aberdeen scored the first and last goals of the game but were undone by three Shakhtar goals in a 20-minute spell either side of half-time. The positives: Rangers won the second half, after a dismal first 45 minutes. The negatives: they still lost the game. Chris Wood slots home the penalty, and there’s still three minutes for the hosts to rescue something – despite plenty of home fans heading for the exits straight after Byskov struck. Penalty for Forest! Anderson gets a kick on the ankle and after being invited to look at the monitor, the referee points to the spot. A bad night gets even worse for Ange Postecoglou. Here, the visitors mix things up by scoring from a Forest corner, breaking downfield before Valdemar Byskov sweeps home. There was certainly a case that Hudson-Odoi was fouled in the buildup, but the referee waved play on. Basel double their lead at home to Stuttgart, Moritz Broschinski finishing off a cross from Xherdan Shaqiri. At least it’s a reasonably short trip home for the away fans. In the Conference League, Slovenian upstarts Celje – who reached the quarter-finals last season – are 3-1 up at home to AEK Athens. It’s looking like a very happy return to Rotterdam for Villa. Donyell Malen bustles through on goal and while the keeper closes down his shot, it rebounds nicely for John Mc Ginn to fire home. And again! Chris Wood sees a second goal disallowed after racing through and prodding into the far corner – but he’s a couple of yards offside. Forest have the ball in the net, but Elliot Anderson was offside when he pounced on a rebound from Neco Williams’ shot and crossed for Wood to tap home. Still, Forest have the momentum … Celta now lead PAOK 3-1, the excellently-named Williot Swedberg extending their lead. In the Conference League, AZ Alkmaar are 3-0 down at AEK Larnaca, having been down to 10 men since the second minute. Buendía and Watkins head off in Rotterdam, replaced by Donyell Malen and young defender Lamarae Bogarde. A big change for Forest: Igor Jesus is going off, with Chris Wood coming on. I suppose one upside of Aston Villa’s PSR concerns this summer is that they’ve been forced to use Emi Buendía, a player they had left in a cupboard somewhere but who is now reminding Unai Emery he’s quite a decent footballer. Maybe Jimmy Thelin’s goose isn’t entirely cooked yet – Nicky Devlin has headed home to get Aberdeen back in the game. Forest have started to find some attacking rhythm, and overcome another nervous moment from a Midtjylland corner. They still trail though, with the clock ticking towards 70 minutes. In the Conference League, Shamrock Rovers are 3-0 down in an admittedly tough away day at Sparta Prague – but Shelbourne are holding Häcken at home, where it’s still goalless. Aberdeen now trail 3-1 to Shakhtar, Pedro Henrique extending the visitors’ lead. Elsewhere, Borja Iglesias has put my Europa League dark horses, Celta Vigo, 2-1 up against Greece’s PAOK. It had been coming since the restart and now Villa lead! It’s their comeback kid, Emi Buendía, who finishes clinically from the edge of the area after a scrappy passage of play. That came moments after a decent penalty shout was waved away. A big chance for Aston Villa, with Evann Guessand unable to turn home Ian Maatsen’s dangerous low cross from the left. At the City Ground, Forest just about deal with a string of Midtjylland corners before Igor Jesus heads wide at the other end. Shakhtar have turned it round to lead at Pittodrie, with Lucas Ferreira climbing to head home a cross at the far post. On the touchline, visiting manager Arda Turan looks very pleased with his side’s fightback. A lifeline for Rangers in Austria as Djeidi Gassama cuts inside two defenders and smashes home at the near post. The away fans – many of whom are holding banners with Russell Martin’s face crossed out – celebrate tentatively. “Why are there so many more British and Irish players playing in Europe these days? ” asks John Brennan. “By my reckoning the following continental teams have someone in their squad tonight: Bologna, Fenerbahce, Roma, Ferencvaros, Lyon, Dinamo Zagreb & Strasbourg. When did this start happening? ” It’s what I’m minded to call the Jude Bellingham effect – as the Premier League’s financial domination has continued to grow, more players in the UK and Ireland can see a clearer path to first-team football – and possible international recognition – by moving overseas. It’s broadly a positive thing, I would venture. Conference League half-times: Aberdeen 1-1 Shakhtar Donetsk

AEK Larnaca 1-0 AZ Alkmaar

Celje 1-1 AEK Athens

Fiorentina 1-0 Sigma Olomouc

Legia Warsaw 0-1 Samsunspor

Rakow 0-0 Univ. Craiova

Shelbourne 0-0 Häcken

Slovan Bratislava 0-2 Strasbourg

Sparta Prague 2-0 Shamrock Rovers All square at the break, Jesper Karlsson’s early penalty cancelled out by Yehor Nazaryna near the end of the first half. Europa League half-times: Basel 1-0 Stuttgart

Celta Vigo 1-1 PAOK

Porto 1-1 Red Star

Feyenoord 0-0 Aston Villa

Genk 0-1 Ferencvaros

Lyon 1-0 Salzburg

Maccabi Tel Aviv 1-2 Dinamo Zagreb

Nottingham Forest 1-2 Midtjylland

Sturm Graz 2-0 Rangers Compared to messrs Martin and Postecoglou, Unai Emery is on easy street – but that could all change if Villa concede. Robin van Persie’s Feyenoord could have been down to 10 men, but have grown into the game. Ah look mate, it’s not going well is it? There are scattered boos around the City Ground as Forest go in behind, with Midtjylland scoring twice from set pieces and looking the better side as the half progressed. “So far, Rangers have not done a great job weathering the Sturm, ” notes Peter Oh. Russell Martin’s side trail 2-0 in Graz. Will their much-maligned manager be put out to pasture? There are brief but audible cries of “you don’t know what you’re doing” from the Forest fans as the hosts struggle to regain a foothold. Hudson-Odoi’s hopeful shot is blocked by Diao as we enter three minutes of stoppage time. Shakhtar are level at Pittodrie, midfielder Yehor Nazaryna finishing nicely from Pedrinho da Silva’s cross. Shakhtar have two players called Pedrinho in their team tonight, by the way. Rangers go two down and it’s an utterly rubbish goal to concede. From a free kick, a low pass forward exposes a needlessly high line, allowint Kiteishvili to stroll through and lift the ball over Butland. Apparently the VAR screens aren’t working properly at the City Ground tonight. Another element to throw into a combustible mix, with Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis currently huffing and puffing in the stands. If only he could find a manager capable of organising a defence, eh? Watkins also saw a shot cleared off the line while at the other end, Bizot has made saves to deny Hadj Moussa and Ueda in quick succession. Over in Austria, Butland has been called into action to keep Rangers in touch – Sturm Graz still lead 1-0. With all this chaos at the City Ground, I’ve barely had time to report on Villa’s progress. Feyenoord’s Anel Ahmedhodzic was booked for a last-man foul on Ollie Watkins, with the referee reviewing but sticking with his decision after a word in the ear from VAR. Forest are back behind almost immediately, and it’s another set-piece nightmare. Sorensen, who set up the opener from a free kick, stabs home a loose ball from a corner. Murillo is injured in the melee, and will have to go off. I wonder if Nuno’s watching. A welcome quick leveller to quiet any murmurs of discontent at the City Ground. Dan Ndoye sweeps home to finish off a nice team move, and we’re all square. Or are we? There was a late change to the Aston Villa line-up, with Marco Bizot replacing Emi Martínez in goal. No official word on why that is, although Tony Hughes has had enough: “That’s two European games running he’s missed. He and Villa should part ways in January. ” It’s another goal conceded from a set piece as Forest fail to deal with a free kick, flicked on by Sorensen and smashed in at the far post by fellow centre-back Ousmane Diao.