Hearts will attempt to pull off one of the Champions League's most famous comebacks in recent years when they face Sturm Graz in the second leg of their second qualifying round tie on Tuesday night.
Despite optimism over the appointment of Wouter Vrancken as the new head coach, the 2025-26 Scottish Premiership runners-up succumbed to a 4-0 defeat in Austria.
However, positives will be taken from Hearts enjoying 67% of the ball and having 19 shots in Vrancken's first competitive game in charge.
How the bookies see it: Hearts to win second leg, not qualify
Most bookmakers have Hearts as the odds-on favourites to prevail at Tynecastle, with the 4/5 on offer with Bet365 the general betting odds for this fixture.
Sturm Graz will prove appealing as 27/10 outsiders, as will the draw at 3/1. Sturm Graz to win (draw no bet) at 7/4 may be seen as a no-brainer by some punters.
Head to head: Second-ever competitive meeting
The one-sided affair in Austria represented the first time that these teams had ever met in a competitive fixture.
Hearts had been facing Austrian opposition for the first time since they edged past Austria Vienna in the 1988-89 UEFA Cup.
Sturm Graz had previously played a Scottish team in the same competition in 2002-23, when they beat Livingston 8-6 on aggregate.
Player to watch: Seventeen-year-old to steal the show?
The major talking point from the first leg was the performance of 17-year-old Luca Weinhandl, who provided a goal and an assist for Sturm Graz.
Although the teenager was making his 15th senior appearance, this display has naturally led to expectations rising that Sturm Graz have the next big prospect in Austrian football on their books.
Vrancken will be hoping for a better outing from striker Claudio Braga, who scored 14 times in last season's Scottish Premiership.
He must decide whether to use the Portuguese as a number 10 or number nine for this contest.
Probable lineups:
With Hearts using a friendly against Raith Rovers on Friday night to get minutes into the legs of a wide array of players, changes are expected for this fixture.
Rogers Mato – who did not feature in the first leg – scored the only goal in that game, and it may lead to the Uganda international coming into contention.
Jordi Altena and Stuart Findlay – a signing from Oxford United – could be brought into the defence, but 19-year-old James Wilson will likely have to bide his time after his experience with Tottenham Hotspur Under-21s earlier this year.
After making mass changes for the cup win at SV Seekirchen on Friday, Fabio Ingolitsch could revert back to the team that started the first leg.
Hearts: Schwolow; Altena, Findlay, McCart, Milne; Spittal, McEntee; Miller, Braga, Kyziridis; Kabore
Sturm Graz: Khudyakov; Heil, Vallci, Mitchell, Soglo; Seidl, Gorenc Stankovic, Weinhandl, Hodl; Wlodarczyk, Jatta
Anything else catch the eye?
In six matches including friendlies, Sturm Graz have scored 19 goals and conceded just four times.
Furthermore, the Austrian side are on a run of three consecutive clean sheets.
Prior to losing to Sturm Graz, Hearts had recorded a 2-1 win over La Liga side Rayo Vallecano.
Interested in why both teams scoring – or not scoring – is such a strong angle? Check out our Masterclass on BTTS and sharpen your match-reading game.
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