Hearts manager Wouter Vrancken has acknowledged that his team will require an exceptionally strong performance in Austria to advance to the UEFA Conference League group stage following their 2-2 draw with Rapid Vienna in the first leg of their play-off round.
The Scottish side came from behind to lead 2-1 at Tynecastle with goals from Josh McPake and James Wilson. However, Rapid Vienna secured a crucial away equalizer in the 79th minute through Nikolaus Wurmbrand, positioning the Austrian club as favorites for the second leg.
"It’s still all open next week," Vrancken stated after the match. "We knew what we could expect from Rapid. They create a lot of chances in every game they play but tonight, it wasn’t too much. Structure wise, we did really good things. On the ball, we can do better. Rapid are a good side and we will have to be at the top of our game next Wednesday. When you are at 95 per cent or 98 per cent of your game, you will not make it. But if we can do even better than we did tonight, then we have to believe we can get a good result."
Vrancken praised his players' spirit and mentality in the second half, despite his disappointment at not taking a lead into the away fixture. "We showed some good team spirit and mentality in the second half, coming back from 1-0 down. Of course, I’m a little disappointed we couldn't take a lead to Vienna. We tried to do good things in the first half but the conviction and pressure wasn’t there. The second half was much better. We didn’t give too much away. The two goals we conceded are a pity. We could prevent those situations. But I have to say I’m really proud of the players for the energy they have shown tonight."
James Wilson's impressive 30-yard strike was a highlight for Hearts. The 19-year-old Scotland international has been recovering his form after a loan spell with Tottenham's under-21 squad. "I’m really happy for James," Vrancken added. "It was a great goal. Such goals give you confidence, for sure. It is extra special for him as a young lad. He is a coachable player. Let’s hope he can make the next steps in his career."
Rapid Vienna manager Johannes Thorup expressed frustration with his team's second-half performance but remains confident in their ability to secure qualification at home. "I was satisfied with our first half performance, we had more control than Hearts and created bigger chances," Thorup said. "We wanted to avoid a momentum change in the second half, with the crowd getting behind Hearts, but unfortunately that happened and we conceded two goals during that period. But I’m pretty happy with 2-2 in the end. In our own stadium, we have to dominate the game more and we believe we can do that."