Aiming to bounce back from their first defeat in the Conference League last time out, Hearts will travel to Jan Breydelstadion on Thursday evening to face Cercle Brugge in matchday four of the league phase.
The visitors are 12th in the table with six points from three games, while the hosts are 15th, having earned four points from their opening three matches.
Match preview
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Hearts have faced significant challenges so far this season, with inconsistent performances in both domestic and European competitions leaving them struggling to build momentum and secure crucial results.
Their season got off to a promising start with a 0-0 draw against Rangers under Steven Naismith, but their form quickly faltered as they went on to lose eight straight matches, resulting in the sacking of their manager.
Liam Fox took charge on an interim basis, guiding the team to a draw and a loss in the league, while also securing their inaugural win of the season with a 2-1 victory over Dinamo Minsk on matchday one of the Conference League.
Neil Critchley was eventually appointed as the permanent manager, and after an immediate improvement in form that saw them secure three wins in his first five matches, including 4-0 and 2-0 victories to start his tenure, the Jambos have since endured three consecutive defeats heading into this match.
That run included their first loss in the Conference League, a frustrating 2-0 defeat to Heidenheim despite dominating much of the play, as well as more anticipated losses to Rangers and Celtic.
Critchley will be hoping his side can turn their form around with a win on Thursday, a result that could lift them into the top eight depending on other outcomes, particularly considering Cercle Brugge's own recent struggles.
The hosts, who finished fifth in the pre-split and fourth in the post-split of the 2023-24 Belgian Pro League season, have been extremely underwhelming so far this campaign.
Miron Muslic, who has been in charge since September 2022, has overseen just four wins, three draws, and eight defeats from 15 league matches this season, leaving the team disappointingly in 14th place.
The Green and Black have similarly struggled in the Conference League, sitting 15th in the table with just four points from three outings, after one win, one draw and one defeat.
They kickstarted the league phase with a commanding 6-2 win against St Gallen, but fell to a disappointing 3-1 defeat to Vikingur in the following game, before holding on to a 0-0 draw with LASK last time out.
That draw brought an end to their three-game winning streak across all competitions, and Cercle Brugge have since lost back-to-back matches to RSC Anderlecht (5-0) and Standard Liege (1-0), leaving them in desperate need of a win here.
Team News
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The hosts are expected to be without Alama Bayo and Warleson for this match, as both remain doubtful due to injury, although they could be in line for returns in the coming weeks.
Despite a narrow defeat to Standard Liege in their last match, Cercle Brugge were more than deserving of at least a point after an encouraging performance, meaning Muslic may opt to name a similar lineup here.
As for Hearts, Calem Nieuwenhof, Gerald Taylor and Yutaro Oda have all been out of action for a number of weeks, and the trio are all unlikely to return until at least December.
After suffering three consecutive defeats across all competitions, Critchley may make several changes to the starting lineup for Thursday's match as he looks to get back to winning ways.
Cercle Brugge possible starting lineup:
Delanghe; Magnee, Utkus, Kakou, Miangue, Nazinho; Somers, Agyekum, Bruggen, Augusto; Denkey
Hearts possible starting lineup:
Gordon; Forrester, Kent, Kingsley, Penrice; Devlin, Baningime, Boateng; Vargas, Shankland, Dhanda
We say: Cercle Brugge 1-1 Hearts
Both teams have struggled in the opening phase of the campaign, and with losing streaks hanging over them, they appear closely matched, leading us to believe this one will end all square.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
