Meeting for the second time in less than two months, Falkirk travel to the Scottish capital looking to extend their winning run to five matches when they take on an inconsistent Hearts side.

The Jambos were in European action during the week but suffered their second defeat in five days, losing 3-1 to Thun in Switzerland, while the Bairns secured a memorable victory over Celtic to claim their first win against the Glasgow giants in 19 years.

Match preview

After narrowly missing out on their first Scottish Premiership title since 1960, Hearts entered the summer facing a significant rebuilding task, having come closer than any club outside Celtic and Rangers to winning the championship since 1985.

Their preparations were further complicated when manager Derek McInnes departed to take charge the Gers, bringing several key players with him.

Wouter Vrancken was appointed as the new Jambos head coach in June, becoming the first Belgian to take charge of the club, but he has so far been unable to maintain the momentum built under McInnes.

After 23 matches, the former Sint-Truidense manager has recorded just eight victories, alongside six draws and nine defeats, leaving Hearts third in the Scottish Premiership, out of the Scottish League Cup and 32nd in the Conference League league-phase table.

Hearts travelled to Thun on the back of Sunday's Scottish League Cup semi-final defeat to city rivals Hibernian, meaning Vrancken's men were in need of a positive result to lift the mood around the club.

However, a poor defensive display saw the Jambos suffer a 3-1 defeat against their Swiss opponents, leaving them without a victory in the Conference League after three matches, having also drawn with Nordsjaelland and lost to Trabzonspor in their previous European outings.

As for visiting Falkirk, they make the short journey east in considerably better spirits after securing a memorable victory over league leaders Celtic last weekend, courtesy of first-half goals from Ethan Ross and Scott Tanser.

The victory at the Falkirk Stadium was their first against the Bhoys in almost two decades and continued an impressive run of form following their difficult start to the 2026-27 campaign.

John McGlynn's side have now won four consecutive Scottish Premiership matches, a run that began in mid-October following a defeat to Dundee, and have climbed the table from second-bottom to fourth.

Their impressive turnaround has also been built on improved defensive performances, with only two sides in the division conceding fewer than their 12 goals, while only Rangers have collected more points across the last six Premiership matchweeks.

Bairns' superb run has also earned manager McGlynn the Premiership Manager of the Month award for October, and his side will now look to overcome a Hearts team they have already beaten this season, having secured a 2-1 victory in September.

Hearts Scottish Premiership form:

Hearts form (all competitions):

Falkirk Scottish Premiership form:

Team News

Despite their inconsistent performances and recurring defensive issues, Hearts have also been hampered by a significant injury list during the opening months of the season.

An injury-hit squad travelled to Switzerland in midweek and returned with further concerns after Stephen Kingsley was forced off shortly after the hour mark against Thun, ruling him out of Sunday's encounter alongside 10 other players.

Harry Milne, Calvin Miller and Blair Spittal are among those currently sidelined, with Milne not expected to return to action until August 2027.

As for the visitors, Falkirk also head into the weekend with a large number of players unavailable through injury.

Despite the joy following their victory over Celtic, Ryan Strain was forced off in the early stages of that match and will play no part this weekend.

He joins Leon McCann, Aodhan Doherty, Joseph Gardner, Ethan Laidlaw, Keelan Adams and Aidan Nesbitt in the treatment room.

Hearts possible starting lineup:

Reus; Gillies, Fagan-Walcott, Findlay, McCart; Kerjota, Altena, Mendy, McPake; Guendouz, C. Braga

Falkirk possible starting lineup:

Bain; Allan, Neilson, Henderson, Tanser; Melniks, Spencer; Ross, Barbrook, Earnes; Murrell

We say: Hearts 1-1 Falkirk

Despite arriving in Edinburgh in contrasting form, the two sides are relatively evenly matched in the league table, and we expect Falkirk to provide a stern test for their hosts.

Hearts will be keen to respond after successive defeats, but with McGlynn's men enjoying an excellent run of results, we anticipate a closely contested encounter with the points ultimately being shared.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.