Hearts exited the Champions League at Q2 stage following defeat across both legs at the hands of Sturm Graz.
Already leading 4-0 from last week’s encounter, the Austrians emerged 2-0 victors at Tynecastle courtesy of second half Simon Seidl and Emran Soglo goals.
Head Coach Wouter Vrancken made three changes from the side that lost in Austria a week ago. Stephen Kingsley came in to take the captain’s armband while Jordi Altena and Sabri Guendouz also started, with Jamie McCart and Landry Kabore moving to the bench and Christian Borchgrevink missing out through injury.
It was the Jambos who nearly drew first blood when Claudio Braga met Alexandros Kyziridis’ free kick but his glancing header flew wide of Daniil Khudiakov’s left-hand post.
The visitors were gifted a big chance of their own soon after when a lapse at the back allowed Szymon Wlodarczyk to go one-on-one with Alexander Schwolow but the big German made a smart stop with his legs.
A big opportunity fell to the Jambos on 22 minutes after some flowing football moved the boys in maroon into the box. Guendouz managed to tee up Blair Spittal on 18-yards but he fired well over the target.
Sturm Graz then went up the park and carved open the Hearts defence with Seedy Jatta ultimately lashing wide.
Schwolow came to rescue moments later with a fantastic double save and although it looked like the warning signs weren’t heeded when the visitors opened the scoring on 26 minutes, with Jatta flicking the ball into an empty net from inside the six-yard box, it was ruled out following a VAR review after Jatta was judged to have fouled Harry Milne on his way into the box.
The game then entered a lull, with the only half chance coming on 38 minutes through Wlodarczyk’s, whose looping header from the edge of the box was pounced upon by Schwolow.
Somehow, the balled stayed out the back of Sturm Graz’s net just before half time. Altena’s backheel sent Miller into the box and his cross ricocheted off several white shirts on the line before breaking towards Braga, but he was beaten to the ball and the chance was gone.
The Jambos lost the services of skipper Kingsley before the half was out, he was replaced by Stuart Findlay.
Hearts started the second half brightly, but it was Schwolow who called into action first, stopping a certain own goal with an impressive save although it was pulled back for offside.
Kyziridis then tried his luck from distance with a rasping effort which stung the palms of the Graz keeper.
The Jambos then broke quickly with Guendouz sending Kyziridis towards the box, he pulled it back for Miller, who did well to get the ball out from under his feet before firing on target but Khudiakov pushed it around the post.
The deadlock was nearly broken just after the hour mark when Oisin McEntee got on the end of a cross to glance a header towards the bottom corner but Wlodarczyk popped up on the line to clear.
That goal did come a minute later but it was for Sturm Graz, with Seidl hitting a rocket of a shot beyond Schwolow and into the top corner.
The visitors then got a huge slice of good luck to double their lead. Soglo burst into the box and saw his initial effort saved by Schwolow, only for the ball to canon back off the Graz man and into the net.
Substitute Amadou Ba-Sy got in the mix late on, reaching McEntee’s cross, but his first time effort sailed over the bar.
The defeat means Hearts now move into Q3 of the Europa League, where the winner of Benfica and St Gallen await.
Hearts: Schwolow, Kingsley ©, McEntee, Miller (Kabore, 69’), Braga, Spittal (Renaud, 69’), Milne, Guendouz (Ba-Sy, 69’) Altena, Fagan-Walcott, Kyziridis (McCart, 80’).
Subs: Clark, Fulton, Wilson, Magnusson, Kerjota.
Sturm Graz: Khudiakov, Mitchell, Stankovic © (Halwachs, 80’), Vallci, Wlodarczyk (Beganovic, 72’), Soglo (Malic, 76’), Seidl, Jatta, Heil, Weinhandl (Fosso, 46’), Hodl (Mamageishvili, 76’).
Subs: Helac, Lorenz, Kiteishvili, Kayombo, Petrovic, Koller, Weiper.
