Viktoria Plzen have been in excellent form, winning six of their last seven games and only conceding twice in those outings. The Czech side finished third in the domestic league last season and made it to the quarter-finals of the Conference League.

Hearts, on the other hand, had a disappointing end to their European campaign last season, losing out to PAOK in the Europa Conference League play-off. Despite finishing third in the Scottish Premiership, they have secured a spot in the Conference League group stages.

In their previous matches, Hearts have struggled, losing two and drawing one of their three games, including a 2-0 defeat to Falkirk in the League Cup. Steven Naismith’s side have lacked goals, only scoring once in those matches.

On the other hand, Plzen have been in top form, winning six of their seven competitive games this season. They have also been solid defensively, conceding only two goals in seven matches.

With Plzen’s strong form and defensive record, they are expected to come out on top in this match and potentially keep a clean sheet against Hearts. This could give them a significant advantage heading into the second leg of the Europa League play-off.