Hearts vs Riga FS Predictions

• Hearts have conceded at least twice in each of their last six games.
• RFS haven’t kept an away clean sheet since the beginning of August.
• Both sides need a win in order to maintain their hopes of progression, depending on the earlier result.

It’s now or never for Hearts and RFS

Ahead of this round, it appears that both Hearts and RFS need a win to take their respectively slim hopes of progression to the final day. However, Basaksehir play Fiorentina earlier in the day and should the Italians win that game, both Hearts and RFS will be eliminated from the Conference League before a ball is kicked in Edinburgh.

No matter what happens elsewhere, this being a dead rubber or a must win encounter should play out similarly in terms of the psychology of the teams. Whoever strikes first in this encounter could face an immediate onslaught from the opposition as each desperately hangs on to a fading European adventure.

Hearts put in a strong showing despite falling foul of a 4-3 defeat to league leaders Celtic last time out, but that means that the Jambos have conceded 11 goals across their last three games, a worrying trend indeed.

Riga can play their part

Riga head into this clash in high spirits after sweeping Super Nova aside in domestic competition, however a 2-0 defeat in the reverse and a failure to keep a clean sheet in four straight games prior to their latest win suggests that we could be in for more sloppy defending from the Latvians.

Given that we don’t know whether this will be a must win clash or a dead rubber at the time of writing, going for an over 2.5 goals selection seems to be a safer way to play this encounter. For smaller stakes, we’re backing Hearts to just about come up trumps by a narrow 2-1 scoreline.