Robbie Neilson hopes a full-house crowd can roar Hearts to victory as they take on Zurich in the second leg of their Europa League play-off in one of the biggest fixtures staged at Tynecastle in recent decades.
The Jambos go into the match with the Swiss champions knowing they must overturn a 2-1 deficit from the first leg in St Gallen last week if they are to reach the group stage of Europe’s secondary competition for the first time in 18 years.
Tickets were snapped up rapidly for Thursday’s match in Gorgie, and Neilson has told his players to embrace the noise generated by a capacity crowd inside the tight confines of Tynecastle. “It would be great to get the victory,” he said. “I felt we had a good performance out there but it’s a different ball game coming back to Tynecastle with a full house.
It’s going to be a great atmosphere and we’re looking forward to it. “We have to use the atmosphere to our advantage. Away goals don’t count so it’s a straight shootout.