Hearts vs InvernessPrediction, probable lineups, recent form & season stats

Tynecastle Park hosts a last-16 tie between two contrasting trends. Heart of Midlothian have had eventful weeks: a 1-1 at home with Benfica after losing 6-1 in Lisbon, a 4-0 win over Dundee United, a 2-1 defeat at Aberdeen and a 2-0 home loss to Sturm Graz. Three losses in five, though the rout of Dundee United is a reminder that the attacking potential is there. Inverness Caledonian Thistle turn up on an unusual run: five matches without conceding a single goal. Two goalless draws, at Arbroath and at home to Dunfermline, then 1-0 at Morton, 1-0 against St Johnstone and 2-0 away at Linlithgow Rose. Four goals scored in all, never more than two in a game. The head-to-head is old and one-sided: between October 2020 and July 2021 Hearts won four times, 1-0, 2-1, 3-0 and 1-0 again, with a single 1-1 away from Tynecastle interrupting the sequence. Across those five meetings Inverness scored twice in total. The prediction may change in the hours before kick-off. Confirmed line-ups, late injuries, suspensions, rotation ahead of other fixtures and the state of the pitch and the weather can all alter the picture described above. In those cases the selection may be reviewed and updated within 12 to 24 hours of the match: this happens rarely, but when it does, the version published on this page is always the current one. The data and assessments here are provided for information and statistical purposes.