Hearts secured a place in the Conference League main phase after a dramatic 4-3 penalty shootout victory over Rapid Vienna in Austria. The Scottish side overcame a red card and a deficit on the night to force extra time, ultimately prevailing after goalkeeper Beau Reus made crucial saves.
After a 2-2 draw in the first leg at Tynecastle, the Edinburgh club trailed in the second leg following Ercan Kara's first-half goal. The match took a further turn when Tomas Magnusson was shown a red card in the 75th minute, reducing Hearts to ten men. Despite this setback, substitute Landry Kabore equalized a few minutes later. Calvin Miller then put Hearts ahead in the tenth minute of extra time, only for Rapid to level the score in the 119th minute, making it 4-4 on aggregate and forcing penalties.
In the shootout, Hearts scored four of their five penalties, with Reus denying two Rapid Vienna attempts to secure the win. "Amazing, amazing," said head coach Wouter Vrancken after the match. "When you see the game, we played a really bad first half. We had a game plan, and we didn’t follow up, we didn’t show the guts to follow up."
Vrancken praised his team's mental strength, noting their improved performance after halftime and their ability to fight back from being a goal down. "I think they have to learn that they’re a good team, that they’re good players, that they can show it and show the guts every time, every week, every game again," he added.
The match saw an early blow for Hearts in the 15th minute when Tom Renaud was carried off after an awkward fall during a challenge. The team struggled to gain a foothold in the first half, with Kara giving the hosts the lead in the 34th minute after his shot deflected in. Hearts had a chance to equalize before halftime through a shot from Braga, but it was saved.
Following the break, Hearts improved their performance. Captain Blair Spittal volleyed just wide, and other chances were spurned before Magnusson's second yellow card in the 76th minute. Kabore's equalizer came three minutes later from a corner. Miller's volley in extra time put Hearts in front, but Rapid's late equalizer set up the penalty decider.
Miller, Altena, Mato, and Kerjota all converted their penalties for Hearts. Reus's saves proved decisive, earning him hero status and sealing Hearts' most significant European result in over two decades. The club will participate in the Conference League for the third time in five seasons.
