While the margin of Hearts’ 6-0 aggregate loss to Sturm Graz in the Champions League second qualifying round may have been unexpected, the result was not much of a surprise.
Even less surprising was losing to Benfica, typically a Champions League team, in the Europa League qualifiers, though again the margin was heavy at 7-1 on aggregate.
Facing Rapid Vienna in the Conference League play-off represented another tough tie, though not considered as tough as either Sturm Graz or Benfica.
Roughly this time last year, Dundee United took Rapid to penalties in their Conference League qualifying tie but lost in the shootout and the improvement in Hearts’ domestic form after a losing start at Aberdeen raised hopes that European league phase football was achievable.
Hearts more than gave as good as they got in the first leg, but the absence of a lead to take over to Austria made Rapid slight favourites at 2-2, more so after Ercan Kara gave them a 1-0 lead on the night at the Allianz Stadion.
A Tomas Magnusson red card for Hearts preceded the Pierre Landry Kabore equaliser that forced extra time. Calvin Miller’s volley very nearly secured them the win only for Nenad Cvetkovic to level for Rapid on 119 minutes.
A first save in the shootout from Beau Reus to deny Moulaye Haidara put Hearts within touching distance again but Oisin McEntee’s spot-kick getting blocked prolonged the tension.
Up stepped Marco Tilio, a former Celtic winger perhaps with a point to prove after a frustrating spell in Glasgow. But it was Reus who had the last word with another terrific stop to secure a 4-3 win on penalties.
Vrancken’s post-match comments revealed how much he believes his side have come in a short space of time.
“When you see the game, we played a really bad first half, a little bit similar as we did in Benfica,” he explained.
“We made agreements, we had a game plan and we didn’t follow up, we didn’t show the guts to follow up.
“When you play against a side like Rapid Vienna, when you don’t show it, they can play through you. We were already pretty angry at half-time and we came out, we did much better.
“We took the game in our hands, we were dominant at that moment. This is already a mental strength, coming back on 1-0 down and coming back like this.
“Again, in the extra time, you try to take the game with you to Hearts and to Edinburgh, then you get a mental kick again in the last minute of the extra time.
“Again, I’m so proud of these guys that they stay in the game, focused and concentrated to win the penalties.
“We can make more steps in the coming weeks and hope that we can take the steps as soon as possible.”
