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Hearts confident ahead of AEK clash
EDINBURGH, Aug 9 (SW) - Scottish runners-up Heart of Midlothian are confident ahead of tonight’s UEFA Champions League third qualifying round tie with AEK Athens.
Hearts defeated Celtic 2-1 over the weekend, and with the match moved from Tynecastle, the club’s ground, to Murrayfield in order to accommodate larger numbers, Hearst coach Valdas Ivanauskas is confident that the crowd atmosphere will assist the squad as they seek to qualify for the Champions League group stage for the first time.
"Of course it will feel good being in charge of Hearts for this game but the most important thing is how it will be for the players,” the Lithuanian coach said.
"The players feel very strongly about the fans and they need them more than any other occasion. I don't doubt that Hearts fans will be there but the game is not just for the Hearts supporters, it is for the people of Edinburgh and the rest of Scotland.”
Approximately 29,000 fans took in Hearts’ second qualifying round victory over Bosnian champions Siroki Brijeg, some 10,000 more than Tynecastle could have accommodated.
The return leg is scheduled for August 23 in Athens, with the winner advancing to the lucrative group stage.
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