Hearts - Rapid: Prediction, facts and bets for the first qualifying play-off leg
On Thursday, August 20, Hearts and Rapid will meet in the decisive qualifying round of the UEFA Conference League. The match will kick off at 20:45 CET, and I am offering you a bet on this fixture.
Hearts - Rapid: Match preview
Hearts came incredibly close to winning the Scottish championship last season. They collected 80 points from 38 rounds, but that was not enough to claim the title. Hearts finished two points behind Celtic and lost the title race. Nevertheless, it was still a historic achievement, and they now have a chance to qualify for European competition. Hearts could also have reached the UEFA Champions League, but they first lost to Sturm Graz and then to Benfica. Now they have one final chance to secure European football.
Rapid finished fifth in the 2025/26 season and now have every chance of playing in European competition. The team first thrashed Santa Coloma 9-3 on aggregate over two legs, then defeated Paide 6-1, and now only Hearts stand in their way. The team have also started the new Austrian Bundesliga season. They have won all three of their matches and currently sit top of the table, although the season is extremely long and the real battle is only just beginning.
Match facts and H2H
- Hearts are unbeaten in their last three matches.
- Rapid are on an 11-match winning streak.
- Rapid have scored in 11 consecutive matches, while Hearts have found the net in five in a row.
- These two teams have never met in a competitive head-to-head fixture.
Probable line-ups
- Hearts: Reus; Altena, McEntee, McCart, Miller; Renaud, Spittal; Guendouz, Kerjota, McPake; Braga
- Rapid Vienna: Hedl; Bolla, Cvetkovic, Raux-Yao, Horn; Seidl, Amane; Demir, Adamsen, Dahl; Kara
Prediction
We are certainly in for a tense and entertaining clash between two evenly matched teams. I think both Hearts and Rapid will be determined to secure European football, so I recommend betting on both teams to score.
