Hibernian vs Hearts preview

Scotland flag 2026/2027 Premiership, Scotland
Easter Road Stadium
Premiership
KICKOFF :
Round 5 1st Phase

CONTEXT

The Edinburgh derby returns to Easter Road Stadium as Hibernian host Hearts in the opening phase of the 2026/2027 Premiership campaign. Hibernian occupy seventh place domestically while Hearts sit fifth, setting up a contest between two sides separated by just a handful of points in the early standings. Hearts carry the higher power rating at 73.07 against Hibernian's 69.31, giving the visitors a narrow overall edge of 3.8 points. Yet Hibernian hold a clear form advantage with a score of 13 compared to Hearts' 9.22, suggesting the home team may carry greater recent momentum into the fixture. Both clubs will look to exploit set-piece opportunities and transitional moments, though detailed metrics remain limited. The atmosphere at Easter Road is expected to be electric as local pride adds extra intensity to this traditional rivalry.

TL;DR

  • Structural: Hearts hold a power advantage of 3.8 points over Hibernian in this Premiership match.
  • Form: Hibernian possess a stronger form score of 13 compared to Hearts' 9.22.
  • Squad: Hearts sit fifth in the domestic table while Hibernian occupy seventh.
  • Efficiency: Detailed efficiency metrics are unavailable for either side ahead of kick-off.
  • Transition: Recent outing data is absent, limiting transition analysis for both teams.
  • Set pieces: Set piece indicators carry low confidence with proxy data applied.
  • xVariable: Hearts register the higher power score at 73.07 versus Hibernian's 69.31.
No standings statistics available.
No head-to-head records found.
0.5+ goals: 85%
1.5+ goals: 70%
2.5+ goals: 50%
3.5+ goals: 25%
Confidence: High (≥8 matches)

Quality vs Volume

Home: xG 1.8, Shots 12, xG/Shot 0.15
Away: xG 1.5, Shots 14, xG/Shot 0.11

Open Play vs Set Play

Open Play: 65%
Set Play: 35%

Expected Points

TeamxPts
Home1.8
Away1.2
ℹ️ Methodology: Expected Goals (xG) measures shot quality
Jan 25 vs Team A
Feb 1 vs Team B
Feb 8 vs Team C
1.25
Avg Points / Game (Last 100 Matches)
1.75
1.67 i
Last 6 Opponents
Dundee Rank: 63 D
Rangers Rank: 77 W
Motherwell Rank: 70 L
Motherwell Rank: 70 L
Rangers Rank: 75 W
Falkirk Rank: 64 W
Avg Points / Game (Last 6 Matches)
1.33 i
Last 6 Opponents
St. Johnstone Rank: 65 D
Dundee United Rank: 64 W
Aberdeen Rank: 60 L
Celtic Rank: 82 L
Falkirk Rank: 64 W
Motherwell Rank: 70 D
3
Head to Head (Wins - Draws - Losses)
3 - 1 - 3
3
No sidelined player data available.

Team Power Ranking

i
What is Power Ranking?
Power ranking is SportMonks' model-based team strength indicator. Historical input capped to 2 seasons.
69.31
73.07
0 (Weakest) 100 (Strongest)
Metric
Hibernian
Hearts
Power Score
69.31
73.07
League Position
7
5
Global Rank
271
175

Form Analysis Opponent-Weighted

Line chart of recent results (points/trend). Friendlies excluded by default. Hover for opponent, result, xG/xGA and power ranking — based on last 6 matches.

vs
Hibernian Opponent-weighted form score
Hearts Opponent-weighted form score
Win (3 pts) Draw (1 pt) Loss (0 pts) Hibernian Hearts

Team Head to Head Last 6 Seasons

Summary of 7 matches between these sides — filtered by competition and venue context.

Hibernian HIB Home
7 matches
Hearts HEA Away
Match Record
3
Wins
3
1
Draws
1
3
Losses
3
Goals
9
Goals Scored
9
9
Goals Conceded
9
0
Goal Difference
0
Expected Goals
0
xG
0
0
xGA
0

Data last updated: 2026-08-28T01:15:48+00:00

General Information

Date & Time
Competition
2026/2027 Premiership, Scotland · Round 5 · 1st Phase
Stadium
Easter Road Stadium
Capacity
20421
Pitch Surface
Grass
Weather
☀️ 12°C, Fair

Squad

Squad

13
Jordan Smith
Jordan Smith Goalkeeper
1
Raphael Sallinger
Raphael Sallinger Goalkeeper
35
Freddie Owens
Freddie Owens Goalkeeper
4
Grant Hanley
Grant Hanley Defender
21
Jordan Obita
Jordan Obita Defender
25
Felix Passlack
Felix Passlack Defender
5
Warren O'Hora
Warren O'Hora Defender
6
Jason Kerr
Jason Kerr Defender
33
Rocky Bushiri
Rocky Bushiri Defender
15
Jack Iredale
Jack Iredale Defender
27
Kanayochukwu Megwa
3
Adam Major
Adam Major Defender
11
Joe Newell
Joe Newell Midfielder
17
Jamie McGrath
Jamie McGrath Midfielder
19
Nicky Cadden
Nicky Cadden Midfielder
23
Callum Wright
Callum Wright Midfielder
32
Josh Campbell
Josh Campbell Midfielder
8
Josh Mulligan
Josh Mulligan Midfielder
47
Azeem Abdulai
Azeem Abdulai Midfielder
14
Miguel Changa Chaiwa
30
Jacob MacIntyre
Jacob MacIntyre Midfielder
20
Rudi Allan Molotnikov
24
Jacob Devaney
Jacob Devaney Midfielder
10
Martin Boyle
Martin Boyle Attacker
18
Thibault Klidje
Thibault Klidje Attacker
22
Ante Šuto
Ante Šuto Attacker
9
Nathan Lowe
Nathan Lowe Attacker
7
Owen Elding
Owen Elding Attacker

Squad

30
Ryan Fulton
Ryan Fulton Goalkeeper
28
Zander Clark
Zander Clark Goalkeeper
34
Kieran Wright
Kieran Wright Goalkeeper
1
Beau Reus
Beau Reus Goalkeeper
3
Stephen Kingsley
Stephen Kingsley Defender
17
Stuart Findlay
Stuart Findlay Defender
5
Jamie Mccart
Jamie Mccart Defender
4
Craig Halkett
Craig Halkett Defender
18
Harry Milne
Harry Milne Defender
64
Malachi Fagan-Walcott
78
Laurent Mendy
Laurent Mendy Defender
23
Jordi Altena
Jordi Altena Defender
16
Blair Spittal
Blair Spittal Midfielder
7
Calvin Miller
Calvin Miller Midfielder
27
Sander Erik Kartum
Sander Erik Kartum Midfielder
12
Tom Renaud
Tom Renaud Midfielder
31
Yan Dhanda
Yan Dhanda Midfielder
22
Tómas Bent Magnússon
6
Oisin McEntee
Oisin McEntee Midfielder
33
Finlay Pollock
Finlay Pollock Midfielder
8
Eduardo Ageu Almeida Santos
Eduardo Ageu Almeida Santos Midfielder
20
Elton Daniël Kabangu
Elton Daniël Kabangu Attacker
9
Jerome Williams
Jerome Williams Attacker
77
Amadou Ba-Sy
Amadou Ba-Sy Attacker
11
Pierre Landry Kabore
15
Joshua McPake
Joshua McPake Attacker
74
Rogers Mato
Rogers Mato Attacker
21
James Wilson
James Wilson Attacker
29
Sabah Kerjota
Sabah Kerjota Attacker

CONCLUSION

This Premiership clash at Easter Road promises a fiercely contested Edinburgh derby where form and power metrics point in different directions. Hibernian will seek to capitalise on their superior recent form to overcome the visitors' slight overall strength advantage. Hearts, positioned higher in the table, must manage the intense atmosphere and deliver a disciplined performance to secure a positive result on the road. Both teams face challenges in extracting maximum value from set pieces and transitions given the current data limitations. Expect a tactical battle defined by midfield control and defensive organisation as each side aims to gain early ground in the 2026/2027 season. The outcome could shape early momentum for the remainder of the first phase.