Hearts delivered a remarkable performance to overcome a red card setback and defeat Rapid Vienna in a penalty shootout, securing their place in the Conference League main phase.

After a 2-2 draw in the first leg at Tynecastle, the Jambos faced adversity when they went down to ten men in the 75th minute, trailing to Ercan Kara’s first-half goal. However, substitute Landry Kaboré equalized just minutes later, and Calvin Miller volleyed Hearts ahead in the 10th minute of extra time.

Rapid equalized in the dying moments with Nenad Cvetkovic’s goal, making it 4-4 on aggregate. In a dramatic shootout, Hearts triumphed 4-3, marking one of their most significant European victories in over two decades.

Key moments included:

• Tom Renaud’s injury in the 15th minute, replaced by Tomas Magnusson.
• Kara scoring for Rapid in the 34th minute, capitalizing on a deflection.
• Magnusson receiving a second yellow card in the 76th minute, leaving Hearts a man down.
• Kaboré scoring from a corner just three minutes later.
• Miller’s stunning volley in the 100th minute, followed by Cvetkovic’s late equalizer.

In the shootout, Miller, Altena, Mato, and Sabah Kerjota scored for Hearts, with Beau Reus making two crucial saves to ensure victory. This win comes after a difficult run for Wouter Vrancken’s side, who faced heavy defeats earlier in European competitions.