Hearts hope to bounce back

Following their 3-0 opening Group A loss at Feyenoord, Heart of Midlothian FC will be looking to make home advantage count when they welcome FC Schalke 04 to Murrayfield stadium.

Impressive home record
Hearts have won three of their four previous home encounters with German clubs in UEFA club competitions, and have claimed some impressive wins. In the first round of 1976/77 UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup, a 5-1 win over then-German Democratic Republic side 1. FC Lokomotiv Leipzig (5-3 on aggregate) was followed in the next round by a 4-2 home loss to Bundesliga team Hamburger SV (8-3 on aggregate) in a game where current FC Bayern München coach Felix Magath scored twice.

German successes
The last two ties against German clubs have resulted in Hearts winning their home game but losing the tie. Iain Ferguson’s 55th minute goal gave Hearts a 1-0 advantage in the 1988/89 UEFA Cup quarter-final against Bayern, but the Scots then lost 2-0 in the return leg. In the 2000/01 UEFA Cup first round, Hearts were beaten at VfB Stuttgart by 1-0, but won 3-2 at home thanks to a late Colin Cameron penalty, only to go out on the away goals rule.

Maiden voyage for Schalke
This will be the first meeting for Schalke against a Scottish club in UEFA club competitions, and the Bundesliga club will be looking for their first win in Group A, having been held to a 1-1 home draw by FC Basel 1893 in their opening match. Schalke are one of three qualifiers from the UEFA Intertoto Cup, and have an overall record of eight wins and a draw in the competition this season and a goal difference of 26-5.