Beau Reus proved to be the decisive factor for Heart of Midlothian when his double penalty save helped the Jambos secure a place in the UEFA Conference League following a nerve‑wracking shoot‑out against Rapid Vienna. The Scottish side had already forced a 4‑4 aggregate stalemate over two legs, but it was Reus’s heroics in the final moments that turned a precarious situation into a historic triumph.
The tie began with a 2‑2 draw at Tynecastle in the first leg, leaving both teams level heading into the second encounter in Vienna. Hearts appeared to be on the back foot early in the return match.
They fell behind in the first half when Ercan Kara, the Turkish forward, found the net after a low strike from Yusuf Demir took a deflection off Oisin McEntee and slipped through to the waiting striker. The goal gave the hosts a 1‑0 lead and, with the clock ticking, the Jambos seemed to be slipping toward elimination. The situation worsened in the 75th minute when referee Tomas Magnusson brandished a second yellow card on midfielder Magnusson for a clumsy tackle on Jannes Horn.
The dismissal reduced Hearts to ten men at a crucial stage of the play‑off, and the odds of a comeback appeared slim. However, the team responded with characteristic resilience.
Substitute forward Landry Kabore, who had been introduced earlier, rose to the occasion and levelled the score just minutes after the red card, sending a wave of optimism through the traveling supporters. The drama intensified during extra‑time.
In the 10th minute of the added period, Calvin Miller seized upon a loose ball and unleashed a powerful volley that found the back of the net, giving Hearts a fleeting lead. Yet the Austrian side fought back fiercely, and in the 119th minute, a well‑timed cross from Nenad Cvetković was met by Rapid’s striker, who tapped it home to restore parity on aggregate.
The match was now dead‑locked at 4‑4, and the outcome would be decided by a penalty shoot‑out. Hearts entered the spot‑kick sequence with confidence, despite being a man down.
Miller, Jordi Altena, Rogers Mato and Sabah Kerjota all converted their penalties, while Oisin McEntee was the only Hearts player to miss his attempt. On the Rapid side, their takers also found the net, setting the stage for a sudden‑death showdown. It was then that Beau Reus stepped up to the line and made two crucial saves, denying the Austrian attackers and sealing a 4‑3 shoot‑out victory for the Jambos.
The win marked Hearts’ most significant European result in over twenty years and ensured their participation in the Conference League group stage for the third time in the past five seasons. Manager Wouter Vrancken, who made only one alteration to the starting XI from the first leg by bringing on James Wilson in place of Kabore, praised his squad’s character after the match.
He admitted that the first half had been disappointing, likening it to the team’s earlier struggle against Benfica, but he emphasized the turnaround that came after the break. "We played a really bad first half, a little bit similar to what we did in Benfica.
We had a game plan and we didn’t show the guts to follow it through," Vrancken told BBC Sport. "We were already pretty angry at half‑time, and we came out, we did much better.
We took the game in our hands, we were dominant at that moment." He went on to stress the importance of confidence and risk‑taking in European fixtures, noting that his players sometimes appear hesitant away from home. "They have to learn that they’re a good team, that they’re good players, that they can show it and show the guts every time, every week, every game," Vrancken said.
"Because in the last away games in Europe, you see that they’re a little bit scared to do things, to take risks or to give spaces away. Then we don’t play our game." The manager also highlighted the remarkable progress the squad has made since his arrival, pointing to the collective spirit that has emerged during training sessions. "The progress of the team is amazing.
The team spirit, I saw it from the first session. They want to learn. They wanted to have feedback, they want to go into it and the kind of football we played. This is the result, they get rewarded, and I’m so happy for them," he added.
Key moments of the match included an early surge from Rapid Vienna, with Yusuf Demir and Tonny Ádámsson testing Reus within the first ten minutes. Hearts suffered a setback in the 15th minute when Tom Renaud was forced off after a collision with Rapid attacker Petter Dahl, leaving the Scottish side short‑handed even before the red card. Despite these challenges, the Jambos created several chances, notably a close‑range header from Magnusson that was saved, and a powerful volley from captain Blair Spittal that narrowly missed the target. In the second half, Hearts continued to press, with Josh McPake and Oisin McEntee threatening from distance.
After the break, Spittal again came close with a 20‑yard effort, while James Wilson and Braga both failed to capitalize on their opportunities. The turning point arrived when Magnusson received his second yellow for a clumsy trip on Horn, reducing Hearts to ten men. Kabore, coming off the bench, quickly responded by chest‑ing a corner into the net, restoring parity. The extra‑time drama peaked when Miller’s volley in the 100th minute gave Hearts a temporary lead, only for Rapid to equalise in the 119th minute through a well‑timed cross, forcing the shoot‑out.
Reus’s composure under pressure, making two decisive saves, will be remembered as the defining factor in what has become a celebrated night for Heart of Midlothian supporters. With the Conference League berth secured, Hearts now look forward to the group stage, where they will aim to build on this momentum and continue to showcase the resilience and fighting spirit that defined their victory in Vienna.