The Jambos continued their preparations for Sturm Graz with a 2-1 victory against Arbroath at Gayfield on Tuesday night.
Landry Kabore opened the scoring with a first half header, before Alexandros Kyziridis doubled the lead shortly after the hour mark. Andy Winter pulled one back for the hosts, but it proved to be only a consolation.
Wouter Vrancken named a strong starting XI for the trip and Hearts wasted little time in trying to gain the upper hand in the contest.
The keys for the early dominance centred around diagonal switches and early crosses into the box, whereas when the ball was lost, the reaction was important, with Hearts allowing Arbroath virtually no time on the ball.
Much like against Livingston on Friday night Hearts lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with this time, Blair Spittal and Oisin McEntee in the middle and Sabri Guendouz allowed more of a free role ahead of the duo to find various pockets of space.
Kabore was leading the line and after having an earlier strike disallowed for offside, he opened the scoring on 28 minutes with a glancing header from Calvin Miller’s corner.
The opening goal followed chances for Miller, who curled a free kick just over the bar and Blair Spittal, who saw his goal bound effort blocked by an Arbroath jersey.
After an initial 15-minute spell to find their feet, Hearts were well in control following their opening goal. Guendouz and Kabore were next to go close, but like Spittal, their powerful efforts were deflected away from goal by some last-ditch blocks from the Smokies backline.
Kabore had been involved in just about everything Hearts had created, playing on the shoulder and making some clever runs in behind the Arbroath backline. Alexander Schwolow at the other end meanwhile, was virtually a spectator.
Half time: Arbroath 0-1 Heart of Midlothian
Into the second half and Hearts continued to be the side in the ascendency with Harry Milne testing Jordan Pettigrew from distance.
Just as the game appeared to be entering a minor lull, two quickfire goals brought some life back into proceedings.
Kyzirdis doubled the lead on 66 minutes. Teed up by substitute Sabah Kerjota, he kept his cool and slotted the ball low into the bottom corner from the middle of the penalty box.
The home side had enjoyed some more of the game in the second half and they halved the deficit just seconds later. Andy Winter stealing in behind the Hearts backline, volleying the ball into the ground and over the onrushing Alexander Schwolow.
Substitutions continued to follow and it was Hearts who had the last real chance of the match as Harry Milne galloped down the left and crossed for Kerjota, who could only fire over from close range.
That was how it finished as more first team players got 90 minutes under their belt as attention now turns to Friday’s Tynecastle return against Rayo Vallecano. Tickets for Friday’s match are available here.
Arbroath: Pettigrew, Hamilton ©, Paterson, O’Brien, Reilly, Dow, Stewart, McKenna, McGill, Watson, Beattie
Subs: McAdams, Morrison, Flynn, Gold, Beadling, Winter, Linn, Trialist, Trialist, Trialist
Hearts: Schwolow, Altena (Borchgrevink, 60), Milne, Fagan-Walcott, McCart (Findlay, 60), McEntee (Dhanda, 60), Miller (Kerjota, 60), Spittal, Kabore (Braga, 60), Guendouz, Kyziridis
Subs: McFarlane, Findlay, Borchgrevink, Braga, Kerjota, Dhanda
