Hibernian booked their place in the Scottish League Cup final against Rangers after securing a dramatic 2-1 victory over Edinburgh rivals Hearts at Hampden. Entering the semi-final sitting bottom of the Scottish Premiership and having registered only one win in their previous nine fixtures across all competitions, Marink Reedijk’s men defied their grim domestic run to claim their first-ever victory against their city rivals at the national stadium.
The afternoon began in all-too-familiar fashion for Hibs when Claudio Braga exploited slack defending to head Hearts in front from point-blank range inside four minutes. Hibs missed chances to level through Felix Passlack and Owen Elding, but the momentum shifted as Hearts suffered first-half injury blows. Calvin Miller sustained a knee issue and Tomas Magnusson was substituted following a clash of heads, with Tynecastle boss Wouter Vrancken intervening on the touchline to prevent the unsteady midfielder from re-entering play. Hibernian capitalized as Joe Newell seized control of the midfield battle, allowing Martin Boyle and Jamie McGrath to strike before the break—marking the first time Hibs had scored twice against top-flight opposition since August.
Hearts pushed aggressively throughout the second half, testing Hibernian’s notoriously fragile resolve after a series of derby encounters last season were decided by late Hearts goals in minutes 86, 88, and 90. Laurent Mendy flashed a shot wide, while Hibs goalkeeper Raphael Sallinger made key interventions to deny Braga and tip over a fierce strike from Sabri Guendouz. Although Marko Ivezic missed a close-range counter-attacking chance to put the tie out of reach, Hibs survived their biggest scare with two minutes remaining when Jordi Altena crossed to an unmarked Braga, who inexplicably missed the target from just a few yards out.
Having previously surrendered decisive late goals to the likes of Midtjylland, Legia Warsaw, and Motherwell, Hibs held on through frantic closing stages to banish their past collapses. The final whistle sparked vibrant celebrations among the supporters, accompanied by a rendition of "Sunshine on Leith" that new manager Reedijk admitted he loved. The result delivers a huge psychological lift to the Premiership’s bottom side ahead of next month’s cup final showdown with Rangers.