There is no soft landing in an Edinburgh derby. Hibernian welcome Hearts to Easter Road on Thursday evening, with 19:45 BST kick-off in the Scottish Premiership.
Two sides arriving with a bit of lift
Hibs have won two of their last three recorded matches, most recently coming from their 2-1 win at Dundee on 30 August. That followed another 2-1 away win, at Rangers, while Motherwell won 2-1 at Easter Road earlier in the month.
Hearts have the same two-wins-from-three record over that spell. They beat St. Johnstone 2-1 and Dundee United 4-0 at Tynecastle, either side of a 2-1 defeat at Aberdeen.
Why this one matters
Those results give the fixture a proper edge before the local feeling takes over. Hibs have scored five and conceded four across those three matches; Hearts have scored seven and conceded three. The figures are a useful snapshot, but derby nights have a habit of setting their own tone.
Match details
Hibernian v Hearts
Easter Road Stadium
Thursday 3 September, 19:45 BST
Scottish Premiership
The supporters’ view
For the home end, it is a chance to turn recent away momentum into a big night at Easter Road. For Hearts, it is the opportunity to take their sharp Tynecastle form across the city. Whatever the recent numbers say, this is the fixture both sets of supporters will have circled.