Hearts’ hopes of avoiding the ignominy of being knocked out of three different European competitions in the space of six weeks at the start of the season are in the balance following a dramatic night in Gorgie.
After trailing to Serge-Philippe Raux-Yao’s goal at the interval, a stirring second half display looked like it might be enough to take a lead to Vienna for the second leg of their Conference League play-off round tie.
Josh McPake’s equaliser and a sensational strike from James Wilson – a goal which will live long in Hearts folklore – put Wouter Vrancken’s side in front and had Tynecastle rocking.
Hearts striker James Wilson celebrates after scoring a 30-yard screamer
Austrian Bundesliga leaders Rapid reinstated themselves as firm favourites to reach the league phase of the competition, however, when sub Nikolaus Wurmbrand restored parity in the closing stages.
Hearts now have it all to do in the second leg next Wednesday if they are to avoid that unwanted hat-trick after already losing in the qualifying rounds of the Champions League and Europa League.
Having already conceded 13 times over the course of those ties against Sturm Graz and Benfica, trying to tighten up defensively was an obvious priority for Hearts.
That was never going to be easy against a free-wheeling Rapid outfit who arrived in Edinburgh having racked up 29 goals in winning all eight of their competitive matches so far this season.
It didn’t take them long to showcase their attacking prowess with only an exceptional piece of goalkeeping from Beau Reus preventing Hearts from falling behind after just nine minutes.
Rapid weaved their way into the home penalty area with pace and precision to leave Matthias Seidl one-on-one with the Hearts keeper. The Rapid captain struck his shot cleanly enough but was denied by a superb save from Reus.
The big Dutchman was called into action again three minutes later and once again was up to the task. Jannes Horn found space on the left to clip in a cross which Bendeguz Bolla met with a crisp header on the edge of the six yard box.
James Wilson lets fly from distance to put Hearts 2-1 up against Rapid Vienna
Rapid’s Hungarian defender was already in the throes of celebrating what looked like a certain goal when Reus threw himself to his left and somehow clawed the ball away to safety.
Claudio Braga did his best to ease the early anxiety and lift the mood of the Hearts support. Regardless of persistent speculation he will be sold by Hearts before the summer transfer window closes, there has been no drop-off in the work rate and commitment which made Braga Scotland’s Player of the Year last season.
The Portuguese forward got Hearts onto the front foot for a spell with his powerful running and clever positional play. Unfortunately, it wasn’t matched by central striker Pierre Landry Kabore whose tendency to dwell just too long in possession earned him the groans and moans of the home fans.
Serge-Philippe Raux-Yao scores the opening goal for Rapid Vienna
At the other end of the pitch, Hearts continued to invite their own problems. Rapid had clearly identified Jordi Altena as a potential weak link and the Hearts right-back did nothing to confound that assessment.
Altena, not for the first time, was careless in possession when he played a blind pass across the face of his own defensive third in the 28th minute. It went straight to Tonni Adamsen but, fortunately for Hearts, the Danish striker couldn’t take advantage as his tame shot was comfortably held by Reus.
Despite that warning shot, Altena failed to learn his lesson and it proved damaging for Hearts as they fell behind two minutes later.
Altena coughed up possession needlessly once more, forcing team-mate Oisin McEntee to mop up after him at the expense of a corner. Bolla took it from the left, picking out Seidl on the edge of the box.
He flicked it on to Raux-Yao who had all the time and space he could wish for to head past Reus from close range. A lengthy VAR check suggested there might be a reprieve for Hearts but the big defender had indeed stayed just onside.
The goal inevitably deflated the mood inside Tynecastle but Hearts rallied towards the end of the first half to offer some indication they were capable of finding a way back into the tie.
McPake cut in from the left and drilled in a low shot which Rapid goalkeeper Niklas Hedl did well to clutch at his right hand post.
Braga and Tom Renaud also tried their luck from distance, the former’s effort flying narrowly wide before the latter forced another save from Hedl.
That promise of better things to come was fulfilled as Hearts made a vibrant start to the second half, cranking up a spell of pressure which saw them stun Rapid and overturn the interval deficit.
Hearts winger Josh McPake scores to make it 1-1 at Tynecastle
Braga continued to provide the spark and was unlucky to see a shot deflected just wide of Hedl’s right hand post.
Kabore finally followed his lead and made a worthy contribution to Hearts’ 56th minute equaliser with a clever reverse pass to set McPake free on the left of Rapid’s penalty area. The former St Johnstone winger steadied himself and curled in a shot which took a wicked deflection off Raux-Yao to leave Hedl helpless as the ball flew into the top of his net.
It was Kabore’s last involvement before he was replaced by Wilson. As Hearts looked to make the most of the momentum now with them, Jamie McCart sent a header agonisingly wide of Hedl’s left hand post from a Blair Spittal corner.
The home team’s second goal was on the way, however, and was worth waiting for. It’s one which will be fondly recalled in Gorgie for a long time to come.
There appeared to be little danger to Rapid when Wilson gathered the ball 30 yards out after a long clearance from Reus. Spotting Hedl off his line, however, the striker smashed a magnificent shot over him and into the top left hand corner of the net.
Sadly for Wilson and Hearts, it wasn’t the winner it richly deserved to be. Rapid regained control in the final 20 minutes and deserved to make it 2-2 when Wurmbrand’s shot was deflected beyond Reus after Hearts passed up several chances to clear a corner.
