Thun beat Hearts 3-1 in Conference League after Hearts' costly defensive errors

Thun take control after a slow start

FC Thun beat Heart of Midlothian 3-1 on Thursday, 5 November, in their third Conference League league-phase match, played at the Visana Stadion in Thun, Switzerland. Thun had no points after losing their first two games 1-0, so this was their first win of the competition. The result followed a strong Super League display on Sunday, 1 November, when Thun came back from 4-1 down to win 5-4 at Lausanne. Home supporters set off pyrotechnics at kick-off, and the smoke held up play for about seven to eight minutes. Once the game restarted, Thun controlled possession, created the better chances and could have scored more than three goals. Thun are the reigning Swiss champions, having won the title last season.

Two goals handed over by Hearts defenders

The opener came in the 22nd minute, when Thun's Lucien Dähler pressed Hearts defender Jamie McCart near the penalty area. McCart's pass back ran past keeper Beau Reus and into his own net. Thun doubled their lead in the first half, around the 33rd or 34th minute, after a clearance by Hearts captain Stephen Kingsley from a Thun cross fell straight to Brighton Labeau, who finished from about 10 yards. Furkan Dursun then got a touch on a Nils Reichmuth cross at the near post in the 56th or 57th minute, depending on the report, to make it 3-0. Stuart Findlay headed a late reply for Hearts in the 82nd or 83rd minute, but it changed little.

Chances, a booking and Reichmuth's influence

Thun could have scored more. Nico Maier raced clear around the 60th minute, but his chip over Reus drifted wide, and SRF described it as a missed chance to make it 4-0. Shortly after the restart, Reus had made a diving save from Dursun and a more difficult stop from Reichmuth moments later. Dursun was shown a yellow card for a forearm challenge on Findlay. 20 Minuten named Reichmuth the match's key player, crediting the Chilean international with stretching the Hearts defence and setting up Dursun's goal. Coach Gian-Luca Privitelli took him off after 72 minutes.

Hearts' injury problems and form

Belgian coach Wouter Vrancken was missing 10 players through various ailments, according to the Scotsman report, and Kingsley had to leave the pitch injured before the end. Hearts arrived with one point from their first two Conference League matches, a 1-1 home draw with Nordsjaelland and a 2-0 defeat away to Trabzonspor. SRF noted that Hearts were only edged out of the Scottish title on the final matchday last season, and both clubs had hoped for a first win of this campaign. Blick wrote that the visitors were missing much of their usual Scottish hardness.

What comes next

Thun return to league action on Sunday, 8 November, when they host FC Basel. Their next Conference League game is an away trip to Ajax Amsterdam on 26 November, after the international break. Ajax won their playoff against FC Sion to reach this stage. Thun now have three points after the midpoint of the league phase and remain in contention to go further in Europe.