Beau Reus made two penalty saves as heroic Hearts overcame Tomas Magnusson’s red card to pull off a stunning shootout victory away to Rapid Vienna, and book themselves a return to the Conference League’s main phase.
Following a 2-2 draw in the first leg at Tynecastle, the Jambos’ European journey looked to be fizzling out when they were reduced to 10 men in the 75th minute of the playoff round second leg, while already trailing to Ercan Kara’s first-half goal.
Substitute Landry Kaboré equalised a few minutes later before Calvin Miller volleyed 10-man Hearts ahead in the 10th minute of extra-time. Rapid hit back in the 119th minute, Nenad Cvetkovic’s goal making it 4-4 on aggregate.
But Hearts rediscovered their poise to edge the shootout 4-3 and secure what may be their most significant result in Europe for more than two decades. It means they will compete in the Conference League proper for the third time in five seasons.
The visitors suffered a blow in the 15th minute when Tom Renaud was carried off after Rapid attacker Petter Dahl fell awkwardly on his leg while being fouled by Jordi Altena. Magnusson replaced the Frenchman but Hearts were struggling to get a foothold early on, and the breakthrough came for Rapid in the 34th minute.
Demir’s low shot from the right took a nick off Oisin McEntee and broke kindly to the unmarked Kara, who slotted into the empty net from six yards out. Hearts were almost handed a way back into it when Cláudio Braga seized on a loose pass but his angled shot from inside the box was beaten away by Niklas Hedl.
Hearts enjoyed a spell of pressure towards the end of the half, with Josh McPake and McEntee threatening with shots from outside the box. After the break, the Jambos captain, Blair Spittal, volleyed just wide from 20 yards out, before James Wilson and Braga both spurned opportunities.
Magnusson then sent a close-range header wide from a Spittal free-kick, but the Icelandic midfielder’s night was cut short when he was shown a second yellow card for a trip on Jannes Horn in the 76th minute.
Despite the setback, Wouter Vrancken’s side drew level within three minutes, as Kaboré adjusted his body and chested Spittal’s corner into the net at the near post, sending the game to extra time.
Remarkably, Hearts went ahead in the 100th minute when Miller acrobatically volleyed in a cross from substitute Rogers Mato. But just as the depleted Jambos looked like hanging on, Cvetkovic knocked in Moulaye Haidara’s cross in the 119th minute to force penalties.
Miller, Altena, Mato and Sabah Kerjota all scored from the spot for Hearts, with McEntee the only Hearts player to miss. Reus saved two kicks, denying Haidara and Marco Tilio to emerge as the hero in Vienna.
Victory brought welcome relief for Vrancken after a punishing run of European results, with his side losing 6-0 on aggregate to Sturm Graz in the Champions League qualifiers. Hearts then lost 6-1 in Lisbon and 7-2 on aggregate to Benfica in the Europa League, dropping into the Conference League playoffs as a result.
“We played a really bad first half, a little bit similar [to] Benfica. We had a game plan and we didn’t show the guts to follow up,” Vrancken told BBC Scotland. “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.”
“They have to learn that they’re a good team, that they’re good players, that they can show it and show the guts every time, every week, every game,” the Belgian added. “Because in the last away games in Europe, you see that they’re a little bit scared to do things, to take risks or to give spaces away.
“But the progress of the team is amazing. The team spirit, I saw it from the first session. They want to learn. They wanted to have feedback, they want to go into it and the kind of football we played. This is the result, they get rewarded, and I’m so happy for them.”
