This Saturday sees this season’s first meeting between Edinburgh’s two clubs at Tynecastle. Hearts have made a faster start to the season, but the chaos of derbies can so often be a leveller, and Hibs will be looking to upset the recent form book to get a result.
Heart of Midlothian are enjoying a very promising start to the season and will be a stern test for anyone. They sit on 16 points at the time of writing, and sit atop the table. Lawrence Shankland, their talisman, scored a brace to spearhead an impressive victory away at Ibrox against Rangers, and in the Scottish top-flight, there are few more dangerous forwards. He has four goals in the first six games of the season, and is just one goal behind Hearts’ new favourite Claudio Braga. The Portuguese summer signing has hit the ground running and gives them even more firepower going forward.
Last season was a strange campaign for both Edinburgh sides, with Hearts making a fast start before slumping into the mid-table, and Hibernian taking the opposite route. After languishing towards the foot of the table, a Christmas revival, which they were able to sustain, fired them into third place.
In spite of this, Hibs’ start this time round has been mediocre. Having won their first game, they have now drawn five in a row at the time of writing, with their early season being characterised by a leaky defence. This comes on the back of a disappointing European campaign in the summer, where the club failed to secure a group-stage spot in any UEFA competition. Nevertheless, they still have one of the stronger squads in the league, and were able to hold on to Rocky Bushiri, who has become something of a cult hero at Easter Road.
There is extra weight on this season’s edition of the derby, too. With Rangers floundering, and Celtic far from their imperious best, Old Firm weakness could mean good news for the Edinburgh clubs. The title will likely be out of reach, with Celtic’s experience in these situations likely to prove decisive, but Rangers’ miserable start could open the door for a second-place finish for either Hibs or Hearts, chances which are amplified further by Aberdeen’s poor form.
So while Hibs’ defensive frailties probably make Hearts favourites, one could not rule out the Hibees, and both teams go into the match with an opportunity to send a statement to the rest of the league.
“Tynecastle Stadium 2007” by Zhi Yong Lee from Glasgow, UK is licensed under CC BY 2.0.