Trabzonspor Stay Perfect as Heart Of Midlothian Suffer

Thomas Reis has won all five of his matches since taking charge of Trabzonspor. On Thursday night at Papara Park he made seven changes and still had too much for a Heart Of Midlothian side that ran out of fit full-backs before half-time.

Mohamed Salah's penalty and a curling finish from Franculino Djú sealed a 2–0 win in the UEFA Europa Conference League and kept Trabzonspor perfect after two league-stage games. For Hearts, a week that began with a 7-1 thrashing by Celtic ended with a growing injury list and a third straight match without a win.

Hearts lose their full-backs before the interval

The visitors' trouble started before a ball was kicked. Regular left-back Harry Milne suffered suspected anterior cruciate ligament damage in training at Papara Park on the eve of the game. That pushed winger Rogers Mato into an unfamiliar full-back role.

It got worse. Starting right-back Christian Borchgrevink was forced off injured before the break, leaving Hearts patching both flanks in one of the more intimidating grounds in Europe.

Around 500 travelling supporters made the trip to the Black Sea coast. Outside the stadium before kick-off they were heard aiming a crude chant at Salah, but inside they met the fierce, hostile atmosphere Trabzon is known for.

Reis, by contrast, had room to rotate. Coming off the weekend win over Beşiktaş, he changed seven of his starting eleven, which says plenty about the depth of the squad he now has.

Salah punishes Magnusson from the spot

The breakthrough came on 32 minutes, and Djú created it. He drew a foul from Tomas Magnusson inside the area, and Salah stepped up to roll a calm left-footed penalty straight down the middle.

Trabzonspor felt the goal had been coming. In the 14th minute a Salah cross struck the arm of Jordi Altena. Belgian referee Lawrence Visser waved play on after a VAR check found an offside earlier in the move.

Hearts had their own complaint before the break. In first-half stoppage time Cláudio Braga appeared to be pushed from behind in the box. It was a strong claim and it went unrewarded, so the visitors went in a goal down rather than with a chance to level.

Djú nutmegs Mato to settle the contest

The second goal, on 58 minutes, showed exactly what the injuries had cost Hearts. Djú slipped the ball through the legs of Mato, the winger filling in at full-back, and played a give-and-go with Salah. He took the return on the right side of the penalty area and curled a left-footed shot into the far top corner.

Trabzonspor's European campaign is being built on this partnership. Salah has scored in four of the club's last six matches and has 10 goals in 10 appearances this season. Djú has found the net in three of the last six and now has five goals in seven outings.

The numbers describe a game Trabzonspor controlled more than they overwhelmed. They held 61% of the ball and won six corners to Hearts' one, yet the shot count was almost even at 11 to 10. The gap was in accuracy. Trabzonspor put five efforts on target, while Hearts got shots away but only troubled the goalkeeper once.

That one figure sums up the Scottish side's night. They worked their way into shooting positions, but with a reshuffled defence and a side chasing the game, they rarely made those moments count.

Lopes Cabral's red card fails to dent Reis's run

The only blemish on Trabzonspor's night came deep in stoppage time. Sidny Lopes Cabral was shown a second yellow card for a late tackle on Sabah Kerjota, leaving his side with ten men for the closing seconds. With the result long settled, it was a needless end to a disciplined display in a match that produced three bookings for each team.

The bigger picture belongs to Reis. His side have five straight wins in all competitions and have scored in each of their last five matches, 15 goals in that spell. Six points from two European games have lifted them to fourth in the league phase. One report adds that it is the first time since November 2013 that Trabzonspor have won back-to-back matches in the main stage of a major UEFA competition.

Hearts are heading the other way. They sit 28th with one point from two games, and they have now lost eight of their last 10 away European ties. The pressure that built after the Celtic defeat has only grown, and with two first-choice full-backs injured, their manager faces an urgent problem at the back.

Trabzonspor, meanwhile, have a different kind of decision to make. When seven changes still produce a comfortable win, choosing a team becomes a selection headache rather than a worry.