On Sunday, fans of Hearts and Hibernian will make the same journey to Hampden, but the Edinburgh rivals have been on very different paths so far this season. Hearts sold out their initial allocation for the Premier Sports Cup semi-final in three days, then snapped up a second wave to take their numbers over 23,000. That a few seats will be empty at the other end of the national stadium signals a degree of trepidation among Hibs followers. Still, more than 18,000 will be there to cheer on the team sitting second bottom of the Premiership, having taken a mere two points from their past eight outings.
Hearts lie third and enjoyed their third successive derby victory in early September. They can also boast a 100% record in derbies played at Hampden, all coming in the Scottish Cup. The history between the sides is long, but the most recent semi-finals have been tight. Hearts prevailed 2-1 in both the 2020 and 2022 semi-finals, with another Hibs dismissal in the latter to go with the pain of a missed penalty in the former.
This is a first competitive match between managers Wouter Vrancken and Marink Reedijk, who were on track to meet in the Belgian top flight this season before stepping away. Reedijk is still waiting for his first Hibs victory, following three defeats and a drab draw at St Mirren on Wednesday. While the structure at Easter Road is evolving, Hibs remain defensively fragile, without a league clean sheet, and have been blunt in attack.
Vrancken's side have 24 league goals to Hibs' 11. Having come so close in the title race last season, Hearts would welcome silverware to underline their credentials, having last lifted a trophy in 2012. Hibs will be boosted by the return of Martin Boyle, who has three league goals and is the club's top scorer. Vrancken described it as "an all-or-nothing game" where earlier results no longer matter.
Source: BBC Sport Football · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing