Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the UEFA Europe League match
At home, Viktoria Plzeň couldn't extend their lead over Hearts, but the narrow margin should suffice for a confident away game (1:0). Bookmakers believe the Czech side will advance to the Europa League group stage, given that the Scottish team has hit a minor slump in their results.
Hearts
Hearts' last victory was on May 11 — since then, they have not won in seven consecutive official games (also suffering three friendly defeats). In Plzeň, the team desperately defended for the full 90 minutes but made a fatal error in injury time. In principle, they did not earn a draw (8-18 in shots) — the same goes for their match against Motherwell (1:3) over the weekend, where they allowed 15 shots on their goal.
Viktoria Plzeň
Viktoria, on the other hand, have started the current season with great confidence: they have an eight-match unbeaten run (seven wins). Unlike Hearts, the team from Plzeň did not play in the national championship over the weekend and had a much-needed rest after a busy schedule. In Scotland, they will play their usual attacking football — their lineup favours this approach.
Hearts - Viktoria Plzeň Prediction
Home support is unlikely to have such a powerful impact on Hearts that they can defeat Viktoria. We’re betting on a reliable handicap (0) on Plzeň.
