Sturm Graz thrashes Heart of Midlothian 4:0 in Champions League first leg

In the 10th minute, Seedy Jatta struck only the post from close range, before Hödl (19') was denied by the visiting keeper with a deflected effort. Another good opportunity arose for Fabio Ingolitsch's side before the break, when the Scots were not defended decisively enough by Alexandros Kyziridis following a clumsy mistake by Mitchell in playing out from the back (34'). At the other end, the visitors squandered a promising chance for a potential equaliser.

The Scots came close to scoring with a shot taken from too central a position by Pierre Kabore (25'). Shortly before half-time, the match flared up once more: A penalty that had already been awarded to the home side for a handball was overturned by the video assistant referee following a VAR review. Hungarian referee Gergo Bogar reversed his decision without major protests from the Graz side. So the sides went into the dressing rooms with a narrow 1:0 lead for the home team.

VAR intervention before the break

After the restart, Ingolitsch brought on Kiteishvili (46') to inject fresh impetus, which was to pay off immediately. The Hearts, backed by 1,300 travelling supporters, had seen considerably more squad changes over the summer, starting with the head coach. A yellow card against McEntee (47') ushered in the decisive phase.

At the start of the second half, Jeyland Mitchell (50'), Luca Weinhandl (53') and Jürgen Heil (59') produced a clear scoreline within ten minutes. Sturm's defence grew increasingly solid over the second 45 minutes, and the black-and-white side lit up a genuine attacking fireworks display: Within just nine minutes, the Styrians pushed the result beyond reach.

Three goals in nine minutes

First, Mitchell tapped in from a Kiteishvili corner to make it 2:0, before Weinhandl increased the lead to 3:0 shortly afterwards. Once again, Sturm struck from a set piece and soon added a third goal. After Soglo (57') hit only the woodwork, new signing Heil applied the finishing touch to make it 4:0, set up by Weinhandl.

Yellow cards for Stankovic (56') and Ba-Sy (86'), as well as late substitutions – including Weiper (71') coming on for Jatta – changed nothing about the deserved victory. Guendouz (82') tested Khudyakov once more, but the Styrians saw the result out comfortably.

Return leg in Edinburgh and next opponent

With a clear 4:0 home win, Sturm Graz have given themselves a brilliant starting position for the return leg on Tuesday, 28 July (8:45 pm, live on ORF 1) in Edinburgh. The winner of this tie will face the winner of the match between Fenerbahce Istanbul and Gornik Zabrze in the third qualifying round. The Turkish powerhouse won the first leg against the Poles at home by 1:0.

The loser of the third qualifying round drops into the third qualifying round of the Europa League, meaning an autumn in European competition remains possible for both teams. Austria's vice-champion has launched their 2026/27 European cup campaign with a real bang.

Looking at the overall balance, Sturm Graz underlined their ambitions for a first Champions League appearance in many years with this commanding display. The side, now promoted to the third qualifying round, will next face a heavyweight from Istanbul or the Polish representative from Zabrze.

The return leg takes place next Tuesday in Edinburgh and will be broadcast live on ORF 1. Should Sturm hold on to their advantage, the tie against Fenerbahce or Gornik Zabrze awaits as the next milestone on the road to the group stage of the premier competition.

Outlook on premier competition and league

The Graz side can travel to Scotland with confidence. Coach Ingolitsch has evidently tuned his team to the rhythm of midweek European fixtures, making use of substitutions early to inject fresh impetus.

In the Sturm squad for the first leg were, among others, Chudjakow, Heil, Vallci, Mitchell, Soglo (79' Malic), Seidl (46' Kiteischwili), Gorenc Stankovic, Weinhandl, Hödl (71' Fosso), Wlodarczyk (71' Kayombo) and Jatta (71' Weiper). For Hearts, the lineup included Schwolow, Borchgrevink, Fagan-Walcott, McCart, Milne, Spittal (75' Kerjota), Braga, Kyziridis (59' Guendouz) and Kabore (59' Ba-Sy).

Looking ahead to the upcoming fixtures, it remains to be seen how Ingolitsch manages the workload. With the 4:0, the team have not only delivered on the pitch but also strengthened their confidence for the coming challenges in the domestic Bundesliga and in European competition.