Hibernian Vs Hearts
Hibernian Vs Hearts Livestream
The first Edinburgh derby of the season is set to bring two out-of-form teams head-to-head on Sunday afternoon at Easter Road Stadium, as Hibernian hosts city rivals Hearts.
Both sides find themselves struggling in the Scottish Premiership, with Hibernian occupying 12th place with five points from eight games. Hearts are only one position above them, having also gathered five points, but they've played an additional match.
Hibernian has endured a challenging start to the 2024-25 season, playing one of the toughest schedules among the league teams. Out of 13 games across competitions, they’ve managed just four wins, seven losses, and two draws. Two of these wins came early on in the Scottish League Cup group stage, where Hearts were knocked out in the second round after a tough 3-1 defeat against Celtic.
In league play, Hibernian's sole victory has been a 2-0 win over St Johnstone, with the remainder of their campaign comprising two draws and five losses, leaving them at the bottom of the standings, separated only by goal difference from their cross-town rivals. David Gray’s squad has struggled to build momentum, following up the win over St Johnstone with three consecutive losses. The last defeat was particularly bitter, as Hibernian ended the match with only nine men on the field, conceding two stoppage-time goals to St Mirren after a narrow 2-1 lead against Dundee United was overturned.
Despite the challenging run, Gray has maintained that Hibernian isn’t in a crisis, emphasizing to his squad that they’re paid to win games. With the stakes high in the upcoming derby, a victory over Hearts could be the morale boost Hibernian needs to turn their season around.
Both teams enter the derby with five points, but it’s Hearts who carry a slight edge, having won back-to-back matches since appointing new manager Neil Critchley. The club initially struggled, drawing their first game and then suffering an eight-game losing streak in all competitions, leading to the dismissal of former manager Steven Naismith. Liam Fox briefly took over as interim manager and helped Hearts achieve a notable improvement in their performance, which included a 1-1 draw against Ross County, secured by Lawrence Shankland’s equalizer in the 96th minute, and their first win in the Conference League against Dinamo Minsk.
Although they displayed strong effort in a narrow 3-2 loss to the undefeated Aberdeen in their last match under Fox, it was clear that Hearts needed a more permanent solution. Critchley’s arrival has provided an immediate boost, with Hearts triumphing 4-0 over St Mirren in his debut and following it up with a 2-0 victory over Omonia.
This derby will be Critchley’s first as Hearts manager, and he’ll aim to extend his perfect start to three consecutive wins, further solidifying his support among the Hearts fanbase. Hibernian, however, will be at a disadvantage as they’ll be missing team captain Joe Newell, who was sent off with multiple yellow cards in their last match against Dundee United.
This high-stakes Edinburgh derby offers both teams a chance to salvage some pride and potentially shift the momentum of their seasons. For Hibernian, a win could ease the pressure on Gray, while for Hearts, Critchley’s early successes could be further validated with a strong showing against their rivals.
