Hibs v Hearts: Edinburgh Derby Drawn in Historic Cup Semi-Final
Edinburgh will decide a place in a cup final. Hibernian and Heart of Midlothian have been drawn together in the Premier Sports Cup semi-finals, Scotland's League Cup knockout competition, according to BBC Sport.
It is the first League Cup semi-final meeting between the city rivals. A derby, a match between two clubs from the same city, always carries extra noise. This one will be played at Hampden Park, Scotland's national stadium in Glasgow, on either 31 October or 1 November.
It will be the first Edinburgh derby at Hampden since April 2022. Hearts won that day 2-1 in a Scottish Cup semi-final. Hampden hosts the late rounds as a neutral ground, with fans from both clubs filling opposite ends.
Hibs eased through their quarter-final with a 3-0 win over Ross County. Hearts won 3-0 against Stenhousemuir, the Championship leaders. Rangers face Aberdeen in the other semi-final after knocking out Celtic. The draw was made after that Old Firm clash between Celtic and Rangers.
Hearts hold the recent edge. They won 3-1 at Easter Road, Hibs' home in Edinburgh, earlier in September. That win is part of a sharp turnaround. Hearts lost their first four games under head coach Wouter Vrancken, then went nine unbeaten and won the last four.
Hibs head coach David Gray welcomed the draw. He called it "a brilliant opportunity" and said a derby semi-final adds "a little bit more spice", in comments reported by BBC Sport. Gray knows what a Hampden winner feels like. He scored Hibs' late goal to beat Rangers in the 2016 Scottish Cup final.
Hearts head coach Vrancken kept his message short. Facing Hibs is "nice for the fans", he said. His eyes are on the league first. "The only thing we are thinking of now is Falkirk," he said before Tuesday's trip to face Falkirk. Vrancken joined Hearts from Belgian side Sint-Truiden in summer 2026 and won the Belgian Cup with Mechelen in 2019.
History adds weight. Hearts lead the League Cup head-to-head 5-1. They have not lifted the cup since 1962, their fourth title. Hibs last won it in 2007, their third. Both fell at this stage in November 2023, with Hibs losing to Aberdeen and Hearts losing to Rangers.
The winners are due to meet in the final on 13 December, according to SPFL listings.
For fans, this means weeks of talk before a ball is kicked. Half of Edinburgh will travel west. Ninety minutes will give strangers something to feel together.
