Anthony Brown

Hibernian secured a creditable 0-0 draw away to Gent in the first leg of their UEFA Conference League play-off. Owen Elding had a 15th-minute penalty saved by Davy Roef, while Hibernian goalkeeper Raphael Sallinger made several important stops to preserve the clean sheet. The result leaves Hibernian well placed to reach the European group stage ahead of the return leg at Easter Road.

Hearts manager Wouter Vrancken has urged his team to seize their final opportunity to reach a European league phase by defeating Rapid Vienna in the Conference League play-off. Hearts previously lost Champions League and Europa League qualifiers to Sturm Graz and Benfica. Rapid arrive after an 8-0 win over Grazer AK and have scored 29 goals in eight competitive matches, but Vrancken believes Hearts have improved since their earlier Austrian setback. Harry Milne remains doubtful, Laurent Mendy could return, and a potential signing of American forward JJ Williams is progressing in the background.

Hearts defeated Championship side Inverness Caledonian Thistle 6-2 at home to reach the last eight of the Premier Sports Cup. Christian Borchgrevink opened the scoring before Ryan Duncan and Alfie Bavidge briefly put Inverness ahead. Rogers Mato quickly equalised, and late goals from Calvin Miller, James Wilson and Claudio Braga completed a dominant Hearts victory.

Hibernian advanced to the Europa Conference League play-off round after holding KF Shkëndija to a goalless draw in Skopje. Warren O’Hora’s late first-leg goal gave Hibs a 2–1 aggregate victory, despite Shkëndija applying pressure late in the second leg. Hibernian’s defence held firm, allowing the club to progress for a second consecutive season.

Motherwell drew 1-1 away to HJK Helsinki in the first leg of their Europa Conference League third qualifying-round tie. Tawanda Maswanhise converted a VAR-awarded penalty shortly after the hour, but substitute Teemu Pukki equalised within a minute of entering the match. Alfred Johansson’s side had several second-half chances and will return to Scotland confident of reaching a play-off against Freiburg, although Alex Lowry and Regan Charles-Cook sustained late injuries.

Heart of Midlothian winger Calvin Miller believes the club can improve under new manager Wouter Vrancken despite a 6-0 aggregate defeat to Sturm Graz in Champions League qualifying. He points to Motherwell's slow start under Jens Berthel Askou last season as evidence that a new tactical system may take time to produce results. Miller also attributed Hearts' struggles against Sturm Graz partly to a lack of match fitness, with the Austrian side having begun preparations several weeks earlier, but said the team is ready for its Premiership opener against Aberdeen.

Dundee opened their Premier Sports Cup campaign with a 4-2 comeback win over Airdrie after trailing twice at halftime. Fellow Premiership sides Falkirk and St Mirren earned convincing victories, while East Kilbride delivered the day’s biggest shock with a 3-0 win over Dunfermline. Morton suffered a surprise loss to Linlithgow Rose, and several other clubs secured strong results, including Ross County, Partick Thistle and Stenhousemuir. Other matches saw Ayr United, Raith Rovers, Inverness and Kelty Hearts record wins or progress on penalties, with several Premiership clubs set to begin their campaigns later in the week.

Sione Tuipulotu expresses confidence in Scotland’s development ahead of their Nations Championship match against South Africa, noting improvements since their last meeting and highlighting recent strong performances. He stresses maintaining quiet confidence rather than bold predictions as the team prepares for a major challenge in Pretoria. Tuipulotu reflects on the significance of captaining Scotland and the rarity of such opportunities as teammates and circumstances evolve.

Rory Darge expects a demanding Nations Championship match against South Africa in Pretoria, drawing on past encounters with the Springboks and experience playing at altitude with Glasgow. Scotland arrives in improved form after a difficult autumn, having won four of their last five Tests and returning to the world’s top five as they continue building momentum and addressing lessons from earlier setbacks.

Falkirk manager John McGlynn reports multiple pre-season injuries, confirming that Keelan Adams and Scott Bain will miss the beginning of the competitive schedule, while Jack McMillan and Finn Yeats also struggle with fitness issues. Bain faces several weeks in a protective boot after a foot fracture, and Adams is sidelined until September following surgery. McGlynn expresses frustration over limited squad depth and delays in player recruitment due to managerial changes elsewhere.