Heart of Midlothian have a mountain to climb in their bid to qualify for the Champions League. A 4-0 defeat by Sturm Graz in the first leg of this tie has put them on the brink of elimination.Can Hearts pull off a miracle and one of their greatest ever comebacks, or will their Austrian opponents complete the job in Edinburgh?Hearts to win – 10/11 with SBKHearts to score first – 4/6 with BoyleSportsClaudio Braga to score any time – 11/8 with MidniteHearts vs Sturm Graz head to head overviewDate: Tuesday 28th July.Kick-off: 7.45pm.Venue: Tynecastle Park, Edinburgh, Scotland.Where to watch: Premier Sports 1.Referee: Andris Treimanis.VAR: Yes.Last meeting: 21st July 2026; Sturm Graz 4-0 Hearts.Last matches: Hearts – 0 wins; Sturm Graz – 1 wins; Draws – 0.Favourite to win: Hearts.Hearts vs Sturm Graz predicted lineupsHearts expected lineup: Schwolow; Borchgrevink, Fagan-Walcott, Findlay, Milne; Magnusson, McEntee; Kerjota, Ba-Sy, Kyziridis; Braga.Sturm Graz expected lineup: Khudyakov; Heil, Vallci, Mitchell, Soglo; Seidl, Stankovic, Weinhandl, Fosso; Wlodarczyk, Jatta.Hearts vs Sturm Graz predictionsHeart of Midlothian came heartbreakingly close to a historic Scottish Premiership title last season.A draw with Celtic on the final weekend would have been sufficient for Hearts to finish top, but a 3-1 loss saw Martin O’Neill’s men crowned champions.There has been plenty of change at Tynecastle Park since then. Derek McInnes and Lawrence Shankland, respectively the club’s manager and top scorer from last season, have both joined Rangers.Wouter Vrancken was brought in as McInnes’ replacement, but his first competitive game in charge did not go well.A 4-0 loss to Sturm Graz in the Champions League second qualifying round last week means Hearts are highly unlikely to be competing at Europe’s top table this term.The winner of this tie will still have a long way to go before reaching the competition proper, with a third qualifying round and a play-off round still to come. But it is fair to say Sturm Graz are better positioned than Hearts right now.Defeat here would not be disastrous for Hearts, who have never participated in the Champions League before. If they are knocked out on Tuesday, they will face either St Gallen or Benfica in the Europa League third qualifying round. Even if they were to lose that tie, Hearts would enter the Conference League play-offs. There is still a good chance they will be in Europe one way or another this season. But the bright lights of the Champions League have already begun to fade from view.Hearts vs Sturm Graz betting tipsHearts go head-to-head with Sturm Graz in a Champions League qualifier on Tuesday.Can Hearts do it?Hearts were thumped 4-0 last week, but the underlying numbers painted a very different picture. Hearts had 19 shots compared to 20 for Sturm Graz. The two teams finished level on xG.Still, Hearts only have themselves to blame for failing to take the opportunities they created. Even though many of their chances came at 4-0 down, scoring a couple of them would have considerably changed the dynamic of this tie.Sturm Graz are in a good position, but the concession of an early goal or two would give Hearts belief.We ultimately do not envisage Vrancken’s charges overturning a four-goal deficit, but Hearts should at least triumph on the night. Back Hearts to win at 10/11 with SBK Hearts must strike firstIf Sturm Graz open the scoring on Tuesday, it will all but kill off Hearts’ chances of advancing to the third qualifying round.It is essential that Vrancken’s side go 1-0 up at Tynecastle Park, and preferably as quickly as possible. That would put Sturm Graz under at least a little bit of pressure.That does not mean Hearts should come out all guns blazing and risk being picked off on the break. They will need to play on the front foot without being reckless in the first half.If they can strike the right balance, Hearts can score the first goal of the second leg. Tip Hearts to score first at 4/6 with BoyleSports Hearts look to BragaShankland’s departure is a short-term blow to Hearts, but there is no need for anyone to despair.Tony Bloom has shown time and time again at Brighton & Hove Albion that his recruitment model is excellent at replacing departed stars.Amadou Ba-Sy, a 25-year-old French forward, is one to watch this season, but a more familiar face is our pick to find the back of the net against Sturm Graz.Claudio Braga was Scottish football’s Player of the Year in 2025/26 and he will be looking to get off the mark for the new campaign on Tuesday. Go for Claudio Braga to score any time at 11/8 with Midnite Hearts vs Sturm Graz latest oddsFind the latest Hearts vs Sturm Graz betting odds here. All odds are provided by our recommended football bookmakers and are subject to change.More Champions League predictionsWe have plenty more Champions League predictions and picks – find our latest betting tips from expert punters in our match preview overview.Important historical facts about Hearts and Sturm Graz for bettingHearts’ last win in a Champions League qualifier was against Siroki Brijeg of Bosnia & Herzegovina in 2006. Sturm Graz won two out of eight games in the Champions League league phase in 2024/25. Hearts conceded four goals against Sturm Graz last time out, having only conceded four goals in one game in 2025/26.About the authorGreg LeaGreg Lea is a freelance football writer from London. He predominantly covers the Premier League and has had work published by the Guardian, FourFourTwo, ESPN and others.Follow Greg on X: @GregLeaFootballCommercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to talkSPORT. 18+. 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