Hearts defeat Rapid Wien on penalties despite a red card to qualify for the Conference League | OneFootball

Heart of Midlothian are through to the Europa Conference League group stage after scaling past Rapid Wien in the play-offs with a red card, defying the odds.

Hearts were held to a 2-2 draw in Scotland and came to Austria desperate not to falter on enemy territory. 

Unfortunately, they were down 1-0 in the 34th minute as Ercan Kara gave the home side the lead.

Things went from bad to worse as Tomas Magnusson, on as an early substitute to replace Tom Renaud, picked up a second yellow on 76. They looked down and out but kept on fighting.

Hearts got back into the game moments later when Pierre Landry Kabore restored parity, and they continued to play like they weren’t down.

The match dragged into extra time, and Hearts thought they had the win in the bag when Calvin Miller gave them the lead in the 100th minute with a stunning acrobatic effort.

Miller put in quite the shift, playing through injury and then stepping up to take the first penalty.

But Hearts failed to hold on as Rapid Wien scored a minute from time to force penalties. 

However, Hearts won 4-3 on penalties to book their place in Europe.

Celtic’s remarkable capitulation in the Champions League play-off against Austrian side LASK, despite holding a 4-0 lead, was a warning, and Hearts stepped up.

After enduring the pain of missing out on the Scottish Premiership title last season on the final day and losing to Sturm Graz and Benfica in their bid for European football, they delivered a spirited performance.

Perhaps this will help mend those broken hearts as the club prepares to compete on multiple fronts, including Europe this season.

New boss Wouter Vrancken will hope to repair their defensive frailties in the coming weeks. 

Their porous back line is an issue they must address as they hope to knock Celtic off their perch. They turn their attention to St. Johnstone in the league.

The Europa Conference League group phase draw takes place on Friday, August 28.