Sturm Graz routs Hearts 4-0 in Champions League qualifier, leaving Scottish side on brink of Europa League drop
Jon Gorenc Stankovic, Jeyland Mitchell, Luca Weinhandl and Jurgen Heil all scored as Sturm Graz dismantled Hearts in the first leg of the Champions League second qualifying round in Austria, leaving the Scottish club almost certain to drop into the Europa League.
Early blow and second-half collapse
Sturm Graz needed only four minutes to take the lead. Jon Gorenc Stankovic rose unmarked to head in a long throw-in, with Hearts defender Jamie McCart caught out of position. Goalkeeper Alexandros Schwolow kept the scoreline respectable with several saves before the interval, but the second half unravelled quickly. Jeyland Mitchell made it 2-0 in the 50th minute, Luca Weinhandl added a third in the 53rd, and Jurgen Heil struck in the 59th. All three goals stemmed from set-piece situations, an area where Hearts looked particularly vulnerable throughout the evening.
- Jon Gorenc Stankovic heads in from a long throw-in
- Jeyland Mitchell scores
- Luca Weinhandl scores
- Jurgen Heil scores
Vrancken's debut and defensive reshuffle
The match was Wouter Vrancken's first competitive fixture as Hearts head coach after his move from Belgian side Sint-Truiden. He made several bold selection calls, handing debuts to Calvin Miller and Malachi Fagan-Walcott while omitting Stuart Findlay, one of the team's most influential performers last season. The coaching staff also saw a change in set-piece responsibilities, with Liam Ross taking over from Ross Grant. Those adjustments failed to shore up the defence, and the errors on dead balls proved decisive. Hearts did create two clear scoring opportunities but could not convert, and a penalty initially given against them was rescinded after a VAR review.
Key departures and a mountain to climb
Hearts entered the tie without two key players from the previous campaign: striker Lawrence Shankland and midfielder Cammy Devlin, both of whom left the club. Their absence was felt in attack, where the Scottish side struggled to trouble the Sturm Graz backline. The return leg takes place on 28 July at Tynecastle, kicking off at 19:45 local time. Overturning a four-goal deficit appears almost impossible, and Hearts are now almost certain to drop into the Europa League third qualifying round.
Benfica waits in the Europa League
The loser of this Champions League tie enters the Europa League at the third qualifying round, where Benfica could be the opponent. The Portuguese club, now managed by Marco Silva following José Mourinho's departure, faces St. Gallen in the second qualifying round first leg on Wednesday. If Benfica advances past the Swiss side, it will meet either Sturm Graz or Hearts in the next round. A Benfica elimination would send the club into the Conference League third qualifying round against Sheriff Tiraspol or Maccabi Tel Aviv. Benfica, a two-time Europa League finalist, is aiming to return to the competition's league phase. Meanwhile, Portuguese second-division club Torreense has already secured a direct spot in the Europa League league phase after winning the Taça de Portugal in 2025/26. Hearts' Portuguese midfielder Cláudio Braga played the full 90 minutes in Austria.
