Match Centre: Hearts vs Nordsjælland

A lead from a corner

Hearts took the lead in the 33rd minute. Oisin McEntee opened the scoring at 1–0, assisted by Jamie McCart. From a corner, McEntee reached the ball in the six-yard box and sent it past the Nordsjælland goalkeeper with his left foot. At that moment the hosts had a scoreline they then guarded for a long time. The visitors found no reply before the break and had to chase the result in the second half.

A deflection in the 86th minute

The equaliser came four minutes before the end of normal time. In the 86th minute Nicklas Røjkjær made it 1–1. The substitute struck from distance, the ball deflected off Jamie McCart and wrong-footed goalkeeper Beau Reus. Juho Lähteenmäki provided the assist. That is how Hearts lost the lead they had held since the first half. The late goal denied them their first European win in two years.

More shots, less possession

The statistics show two different pictures of the match. Hearts took 20 shots, 7 of them on target, and Nordsjælland 10, including 3 on target. The visitors had more possession, though: 56% to 44%. There were 7 corners for Nordsjælland and 6 for Hearts. So the hosts created more danger in front of goal, but did not extend their lead.

The visitor who scored at the end

Røjkjær is Nordsjælland's top scorer in the league, with 3 goals and 2 assists in 6 games. In Edinburgh he added a goal in Europe. His strike fits the profile of a team that has scored 4 of its 18 goals this season after the 75th minute. The visitors scored 5 of their 18 goals in the first 15 minutes, but this time they waited until the closing stages.

Words before the match

Before the game Hearts coach Wouter Vrancken described the opponent as a very good side and said his team must believe in themselves and play bravely. The Nordsjælland coach said before travelling to Edinburgh that his team were wasting chances after the draw with OB and were disappointed by it. So both coaches pointed before the match to what they wanted to improve.

Hearts' run and fixtures

Hearts scored in an 11th consecutive match. Before this game they had lost only once at home in their last 32 matches. Brazilian Ageu suffered an injury in training before the match, and Malachi Fagan-Walcott joined the European squad, it was announced. After the draw Hearts face away trips: in the coming week they play Celtic and Trabzonspor.

A first meeting in history

Hearts and Nordsjælland meet in Matchday 1 of the Europa Conference League. Hearts are the home side. The two clubs have never played each other in an official match, so this is their first meeting. There are therefore no previous head-to-head results, and the history of the rivalry starts with this game. With no shared past, what says most about both teams is their recent matches, their squads and the fitness of their players. That is what we cover in the following paragraphs, starting with the hosts.

Hearts after a big win

The hosts come into the game on the back of a convincing win. Hearts beat St Mirren 5–0 at home. Mendy, Miller, Braga and McPake scored, with Miller netting twice from penalties. It was their biggest home league win in three and a half years. It is Hearts' last match covered here before the game against the Danish side, and a result that stands out from their recent years of league football at home.

The run at Tynecastle

Hearts have lost just once in their last 32 matches at Tynecastle. The defeat was 0–2 and came against Sturm Graz. That is the only place Hearts have been beaten in European competition this season. Both figures refer to games played at the hosts' own stadium, and the last 32 matches are a period in which they suffered one single defeat. So Nordsjælland are facing a side that has very rarely lost at home.

Injuries and a suspension at Hearts

Hearts will be without the injured Craig Halkett, Tom Renaud and Blair Spittal. The club therefore have three injured players who will miss the match. Besides them, Tomas Magnusson is suspended after a red card. His absence has a different source from the others, because it comes from a punishment, not an injury. The list of absentees in the hosts' squad is therefore known ahead of the first meeting with Nordsjælland.

Nordsjælland: absentees and weaker form

Among the visitors, Jakob Busk, Souleymane Alio and William Faber are injured. Sports Mole writes that Nordsjælland could also lose Araphat Mohammed and Souleymane Alio because of health problems, though both may still be fit in time for the match. The visitors lost 1–4 away at Viborg in the Danish league, and in a friendly during the international break they lost 0–3 to Malmö. In their last league match they drew 0–0 with Odense, although they were the ones who threatened the opposition goal more often.