- 1 Rapid Vienna vs Hearts: a 2-2 at Tynecastle and nine games unbeaten for the Austrians
- 2 Rapid Vienna have not lost since the season restarted
- 3 Hearts are improving, but they are still shaky away from home
- 4 Conference League prediction Rapid Vienna vs Hearts
- 5 First, a quick word on our free predictions
- 6 No commitment from us
- 7 Information changes
- 8 Your responsibility
- 9 Responsible gambling first
- 10 Legal age
- 11 About the visuals…
Rapid Vienna vs Hearts: a 2-2 at Tynecastle and nine games unbeaten for the Austrians 
Rapid Vienna head into the second leg with nine competitive matches behind them this season and not a single defeat on the board. Eight wins and one draw make up a tidy start to the campaign.
That draw came, crucially, in the 2-2 at Tynecastle on August 20. The Austrians twice had to come from behind in Edinburgh.
So the tie is settled on Wednesday 26 August at 18:45, Austrian time, at the Allianz Stadion. The winner goes straight into the Conference League league phase.
The first leg numbers, though, made Vienna’s life look a lot less comfortable. Hearts had 17 shots to Rapid’s nine, which hardly backs up the Austrians’ tag as favourites.
Even so, Vienna’s qualifying run has been ruthless on paper. Santa Coloma were brushed aside 9-3 on aggregate, while Paide Linnameeskond were beaten 6-1.
Wouter Vrancken, who arrived this summer after Derek McInnes left for Rangers, is still waiting for his first away win. Three trips, three defeats, 12 goals conceded.
That is the gap in the tie. One side comes in flying in front of its own fans; the other can create chances but folds far too easily on the road.
There is, though, one sign of life for the Scots: two wins and two draws from their last four matches after a dreadful start suggest they may finally be turning the corner.
Rapid Vienna have not lost since the season restarted 
Eight wins and one draw from nine competitive matches: that is Rapid’s raw return since the season began. No team in this tie comes close for consistency.
That run has been built on an attack that keeps finding a way through. The 8-0 hammering of Grazer AK in the league was the clearest example.
The Austrian capital club have already seen off two qualifying opponents without ever looking rattled. The 4-1 first-leg win at Paide and the 2-0 second-leg success showed clean control over both ties.
Johannes Thorup also proved last season that he can drag his side through a tough spot. Beaten 2-1 away in the first leg of their Europa League play-off against SV Ried, Rapid hit back with a 3-0 win at home to book their place in Europe.
The attack got a lift at Tynecastle from two substitutes who made a difference. Nikolaus Wurmbrand and Nicolas Bajlicz combined for the Vienna equaliser and both have a decent case for starting.
The treatment room is still busy, though, with five doubts. Dominic Vincze, Martin Ndzie and Claudy M’Buyi are carrying muscle problems, Daniel Nunoo has taken a knock and Andrija Radulovic has a meniscus issue.
Rapid have scored in every one of their nine competitive matches this season. That sort of consistency is the bedrock of their edge in the tie.
Back at home, the reference points change too. At Tynecastle, the Austrians allowed 17 efforts on goal, and that sort of volume should not be getting through in Vienna.
Try it for $0.99.
Hearts are improving, but they are still shaky away from home 
Wouter Vrancken started with four straight defeats in competitive matches. Champions League qualifying was already gone by then.
The low point came at the Estadio da Luz, where Benfica put six past them in a 6-1 rout in the Europa League third qualifying round. That sent the Scots into the Conference League.
The response came straight away. A hard-earned 1-1 in the return against the Lisbon side sparked a run of two wins and two draws from four games.
The attack has followed the same curve: 4-0 against Dundee United, 6-2 against Inverness Caledonian Thistle, then the 2-2 against Rapid. The Jambos score freely whenever they are at Tynecastle.
Away from home, though, it has been a mess. Three trips, three defeats and 12 goals conceded since Vrancken arrived – an average of four per game.
James Wilson looks the likeliest man to flip that story. The striker has scored in his last two substitute appearances, including the Scottish goal in the first leg, and should line up alongside Claudio Braga up front.
Hearts also remain without four players. Malachi Fagan-Walcott, Craig Halkett, Stephen Kingsley and Ageu are all unavailable.
Even so, there is a sense of release around the club. Knocked out of the Champions League and then the Europa League, the Jambos now have just one European competition left to fight for.
They have also scored 12 goals in their last three home matches – the 4-0 against Dundee United, the 6-2 against Inverness and the 2-2 with Rapid. The issue is not the attack. It is the fact they keep leaking goals away from Edinburgh.
Probable Rapid Vienna line-up: Hedl ; Bolla, Cvetkovic, Raux-Yao, Horn ; Seidl, Amane ; Demir, Bajlicz, Wurmbrand ; Kara
Probable Hearts line-up: Reus ; Altena, McEntee, Findlay, McCart ; Renaud, Spittal ; Miller, Braga, McPake ; Wilson
Conference League prediction Rapid Vienna vs Hearts
Our prediction: Both teams to score
The first leg already served up four goals and 17 Hearts shots, so nobody should be pretending the Scots are harmless. James Wilson also came off the bench to score at Tynecastle.
Rapid, meanwhile, have scored in every competitive match they have played this season, with qualifying wins of 9-3 and 6-1 on aggregate. A Scottish defence that is giving up four goals on the road is unlikely to survive 90 minutes at the Allianz Stadion.
Both sides should score in Vienna. That is the play for the second leg.
in your pocket.
Real-time notifications & alerts
_________
First, a quick word on our free predictions
- What we publish on mathodds is analysis, nothing more. We are offering an opinion, a read on the moment, but never a guarantee. Sport is what it is: unpredictable. A red card, an injury, a goal from nowhere… and the script changes completely.
- Let’s be clear: there is no such thing as a risk-free bet. Even when something looks nailed on, it never really is. And yes, that means you can lose. In time, that is inevitable.
- The sensible thing is to keep it under control. Bet small, set a budget and stick to it. Do not touch money you need for everyday life. And above all, do not chase your losses – that rarely ends well.
- A bet should stay a game, not a job or a source of income. If you feel it is taking up too much space in your life, if it is getting on your nerves or putting you under pressure, take a break. And if needed, speak to a specialist organisation. That is what they are there for.
- In the end, the responsibility is yours. Reading our content means accepting that risk exists and will never disappear, no matter how good the analysis looks.
- Essential reminder: betting is illegal for minors and must follow the law in your country. Gambling can go off the rails fast, leading to money problems, family tension and addiction. Need Help? Call 1-800-GAMBLER. In the UK? Visit https://www.gambleaware.org/https://www.gambleaware.org/.
No commitment from us
Our predictions are not a contract. They have no legal force. Put simply: you cannot use them to demand anything if a bet loses.
Information changes
A prediction is always based on what we know when it is written. But in the meantime, a team sheet changes (like Rapid Vienna’s, for example), a player gets injured, the weather turns… and the analysis can quickly be out of date. We cannot be held responsible for that.
Your responsibility
Before you bet, check that gambling is legal where you are. If it is not, that is your responsibility, not ours.
Responsible gambling first
We cannot say it enough: bet in moderation. If you are struggling to stay in control, do not wait to get help. We cannot be responsible for compulsive or excessive use of the information published on the site.
Legal age
mathodds content is for adults only. By using this site, you confirm you are old enough to bet under the law.
About the visuals…
The images and logos of Rapid Vienna and Hearts on mathodds, including those linked to the Conference League, are here only to illustrate our articles. They do not mean we have any official link with a federation or sports organisation, and we do not claim any rights over them.
Those rights belong to the original creators. If, despite our care, any visual causes a problem, contact us: it will be removed without delay.
Our only aim with these images is to make the reading experience better. Nothing more. No commercial gain, no taking credit for other people’s work.
Leave a Reply