Today in Football
Matches in Focus
Hearts v Rapid Wien
Hearts lost one of the most heartbreaking matches in football since I have been alive — losing the league to Celtic on the final matchday after having led all season. Not to mention they would have broken the title-winning monopoly that Celtic and Rangers have held over Scotland since Aberdeen last managed it in the 1984/85 season. They started their UEFA qualifying campaign in the Champions League (UCL), getting absolutely mashed up 6-0 on aggregate by Sturm Graz of Austria, followed by a 7-2 aggregate thrashing by Benfica in the last round of Europa League (UEL) qualifying. Now, in the Conference League (UECL) final qualifying round, it is their last chance at getting into a UEFA competition proper. It would be a huge disappointment to have started in UCL qualifying and not make any UEFA group stage. They lost their league opener 2-1 to Aberdeen but followed it up with a 4-0 victory against Dundee United.
They lost top goalscorer and Scotland international Lawrence Shankland to Rangers, as well as starting keeper Alexander Schwolow to Mainz and winger Alexandros Kyziridis to Çorum FK in Türkiye. They have brought in a slew of new signings to replace the big squad players who left this summer — most notably Calvin Miller from Scottish side Falkirk, a left-sided player who can feature at wing-back or on the wing and has started or played a big role in every match he has been available for; Amadou Ba-Sy, a centre-forward; and Sabri Guendouz, who can play behind the striker. Most importantly, #10 and talisman Claudio Braga is still at the club.
Rapid Wien finished 5th in the Austrian top flight and started their UEFA campaign in the UECL. The past few months have been far less dramatic for them than for Hearts, and the start of their season could not be more different. They have won both of their UECL qualifiers — 9-3 against FC Santa Coloma (Andorra) and 6-1 against Estonian side Paide Linnameeskond. They sit top of their league with three wins from three, 11 goals scored (though they did just beat a team 8-0, lmao) and only one conceded.
Rapid Wien's form and Hearts' rocky start clearly favour the visitors tonight. Scottish teams have struggled in Europe in recent history. Hearts have already lost 6-0 on aggregate to a team that sit 4th in the division Rapid Wien top. The price on the Rapid Wien goalscorers is good, especially the wingers. The only problem is they have real depth across their attacking line, so assuming who will start is a pain in the ass. So here are my pre-lineup picks — I am assuming one may void; follow @PlayrPropPerson on Twitter (X) for any revised picks if these guys do not start:
Marco Tilio Anytime Goal @ 13/5 (Bet365) — 0.5u
Yusuf Demir Anytime Goal @ 13/5 (Bet365) — 0.5u
Petter Dahl Anytime Goal @ 15/4 (Bet365) — 0.5u
Sheffield Wednesday v Bradford
Both teams kicked off their League One seasons with wins, and both are promotion contenders — Bradford finished 4th last season, losing out to Bolton in the promotion play-offs. Sheffield Wednesday were relegated from the Championship last season after an 18-point deduction to start the campaign; they only ever made it back to zero points. The energy in Sheffield for their home opener, in a season that breathes new life into the club, is going to be fun, and the flaws in these teams only enhance what should be an exciting game. This is honestly a fantastic match, and I implore anyone who is not familiar with the qualities of lower-league English football to tune in (even though, when you are a non-league scout, this hardly qualifies as "lower league").
The plays in this match are focused on the ebbs and flows of this specific matchup, and less about recent form, summer business, or squad cohesion.
Sheffield Wednesday started in a back three (or five) but switched to a four at half-time, turning around a 1-0 half-time deficit away at Leyton Orient to pull out a 2-1 victory. They brought on former Aston Villa youngster Louie Barry on the wing, and he helped change the game. I think this is how they will set up today, and I think Louie Barry is going to be a handful:
Ibou Touray Card @ 7/2 (Bet365) — 0.5u (playable even if Barry does not start)
Louie Barry Anytime Assist @ 6/1 (Bet365) — 0.375u
Another thing that stood out was how hard the Sheffield Wednesday attackers pressed, and how hard they worked in general. Both goalscorers — Callum Slattery and Jamal Lowe — combined for nine fouls, and neither was booked. If either of them runs those foul numbers up again, it would be hard not to pick up a booking across two such games:
Callum Slattery Booking @ 11/5 (Bet365) — 0.5u
Jamal Lowe Booking @ 10/3 (Bet365) — 0.375u
Total staked: 3.25u across the two games. Scouted, not guessed.
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