Rapid Vienna vs Hearts predictions and betting tips | Play-off in the balance

Our Rapid Vienna vs Hearts predictions preview this decisive Conference League play-off second leg, as the Scottish side attempt to reach the competition proper.

Rapid Vienna vs Hearts head to head overview

• Date: Wednesday 26th August.
• Kick-off: 5.45pm.
• Venue: Allianz Stadion, Vienna, Austria.
• Where to watch: Not being shown live in the UK.

Rapid Vienna vs Hearts quick tips

• Rapid Vienna to win – 8/11 with Unibet
• Over 2.5 goals – 4/6 with SBK
• Ercan Kara to score any time – 6/5 with Tote

Rapid Vienna vs Hearts predictions

A second-place finish in the Scottish Premiership last season saw Hearts enter the Champions League qualifiers. A 6-0 aggregate defeat by Sturm Graz promptly relegated them to the Europa League.

Another heavy loss, this time 7-2 over two legs at the hands of Benfica, sent Wouter Vrancken’s men into the Conference League play-offs.

This time, Hearts only have to win one tie to book a place in the competition proper. In the Champions League and Europa League qualifiers, they entered the process earlier.

But heading into the second leg of this Conference League play-off against Rapid Vienna, Hearts are the underdogs.

A 2-2 draw in the first match means there is nothing between the teams in terms of the scoreline, but Rapid Vienna have home advantage on Wednesday.

If Hearts are to participate in continental competition this campaign, they will need to triumph in Austria one way or another.

“We cannot back down 1 percent next week because otherwise we will be beaten,” Vrancken said after the draw in Edinburgh. “But when we can show this again, we make an extra step in conviction and knowing what we want and how we want to do it, then the belief is there that we can reach the league phase.”

Rapid Vienna vs Hearts tips

Hearts have one last chance to qualify for Europe this season – will they take it?

End of road for Hearts

Unfortunately for Hearts, it is hard to shake the feeling that they may have missed their best chance.

A win in front of their own fans last week would have put them in a strong position at the midway point of the tie, but the 2-2 draw was a better result for Rapid Vienna than for Hearts.

Rapid dominated possession in the first leg and outperformed on xG, 1.34 to 0.61. A repeat performance here would surely send them through.

It looks like Hearts will not play European football beyond the qualifiers in 2026/27.

Tip Rapid Vienna to win at 8/11 with Unibet

More entertainment awaits

We were treated to an entertaining encounter in the first leg of this Conference League play-off, and there is reason to believe we will see more of the same in Austria.

If we get to 60 minutes and the score is still 0-0, perhaps the match will get progressively cagier and tenser until the final whistle.

But if either of these two teams goes 1-0 up in the first hour, the other will need to start taking more risks to get back into the game.

This is make or break for Rapid Vienna and Hearts, neither of whom will want to have any regrets come the end of the match.

Go for over 2.5 goals at 4/6 with SBK

Kara in fine form

Ercan Kara enjoyed a prolific first spell at Rapid Vienna between 2020 and 2022, scoring 27 goals in 58 league games.

He returned to the club in February 2025, but his first 18 months back produced just eight goals in 60 appearances in all competitions.

Yet Kara has hit the ground running at the start of this season, finding the back of the net five times in seven matches so far.

The 30-year-old, who has been likened to Zlatan Ibrahimovic in terms of style if not standard, is our pick to score in this one.

Back Ercan Kara to score any time at 6/5 with Tote

Rapid Vienna vs Hearts predicted lineups

• Rapid Vienna expected lineup: Hedl; Horn, Ro-Yao, Cvetkovic, Bolla; Aman, Seidl; Dahl, Adamsen, Demir; Kara.
• Hearts expected lineup: Royce; McCart, Findlay, McEntee, Altena; Spittal, Renault; MacPake, Claudio Braga, Miller; Kabore.

Rapid Vienna vs Hearts latest odds

Find the latest Rapid Vienna vs Hearts betting odds here. All odds are provided by our recommended football bookmakersand are subject to change.

• Rapid Vienna: 8/11 with Unibet
• Draw: 5/2 with SBK
• Hearts: 10/3 with Tote

More Conference League predictions

We have plenty more Conference League predictions and picks – find our latest betting tips from expert punters in our match preview overview.

Important historical facts about Rapid Vienna vs Hearts for betting

The 2-2 draw between Hearts and Rapid Vienna last week was the first ever meeting between these two teams.

• Last meeting: Thursday 20th August; Hearts 2-2 Rapid Vienna.

About the author

Greg Lea

Greg Lea is a freelance football writer from London. He predominantly covers the Premier League and has had work published by the Guardian, FourFourTwo, ESPN and others.

Follow Greg on X: @GregLeaFootball

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