Zurich and Hearts will fight for a place in the Europa League group stage when they face off in a two-legged playoff tie, with the first leg coming at Letzigrund this week on Thursday.
Zurich started their European qualification campaign in the second round of the Champions League qualifiers, where they were eliminated by Qarabag with a 5-4 on aggregate defeat.
They however did well in the third round of the Europa League seeing out Linfield with an emphatic 5-0 on aggregate win and they will hope for the same here as they seek to put one leg through to competition proper.
Meanwhile Hearts finished third in the Scottish Premiership last season and thus booked an automatic place in the playoff round of the Europa League qualifiers.
The Thursday clash will see the Scotts end their six-year absence from the European football and will do everything to extend their run in the group stage after the two-legged playoff tie against Zurich.
Hearts have started the new Premiership campaign strongly, winning two and drawing one of their opening three matches and will be looking to carry the momentum into this clash, but Zurich are a hard side to beat at home and they will need to play at the top of the game.
Zurich vs Hearts head to head
This will be the first meeting between the two sides and we expect a closely fought encounter. Take a look at their previous results;
Home
- Winterthur 1-1 Zurich
- Zurich 3-0 Linfield
- Zurich 0-3 Sion
- Linfield 0-2 Zurich
- St Gallen 2-0 Zurich
Away
- Hearts 4-1 Dundee United
- Hibernian 1-1 Hearts
- Hearts 2-1 Ross County
- Hearts 2-1 Stoke
- Preston 2-1 Hearts
Zurich team news
Zurich have no fresh injury concerns ahead of the clash.
Hearts team news
Hearts will be without Beni Baningime due to injury.
Prediction and odds
- Double chance (1, X)
- Both sides to score
- Goals over 2.5
