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A first-half penalty and an early second-half goal gave Trabzonspor the win at Papara Park. They held on against a Hearts side that struggled to test goalkeeper André Onana.
The match in Trabzon, Türkiye, kicked off at 7:45 p.m. in UEFA’s third-tier European club competition. Trabzonspor were denied early when VAR ruled against a penalty claim in the 14th minute. They won one in the 30th minute, when Franculino Dju drew a foul inside the area from Hearts midfielder Tomas Magnusson.
Mohamed Salah took the spot kick two minutes later and sent a left-footed shot into the centre of the goal to make it 1-0.
Trabzonspor extended the lead in the 58th minute. Salah set up Dju, who struck a left-footed shot from the right side of the box into the top left corner.
Trabzonspor kept pressing in the second half. Batista Mendy and Cabral both fired high from outside the box, and Noah Saviolo forced a save from Hearts goalkeeper Beau Reus in the 82nd minute. Reus had earlier stopped efforts from Dju and Benjamin Bouchouari in the first half.
Hearts started brightly. Christian Borchgrevink sent a long-range effort narrowly wide in the sixth minute, and Malachi Fagan-Walcott hit the left post with a header from a Calvin Miller cross in the seventh.
Onana saved a header from Claudio Braga in the 10th minute, the only Hearts shot on target all night.
Hearts’ attacking threat faded after that. Borchgrevink, who had been booked in the 20th minute, went off injured just before halftime and was replaced by Stephen Kingsley.
Hearts made three more changes in the 75th minute, bringing on Josh McPake, Sabah Kerjota and JJ Williams. McPake, who was later booked, put a left-footed effort wide in the 83rd minute.
The match was physical, with a string of fouls on both sides.
Cabral (9th minute) and Samet Akaydin (38th) were booked for Trabzonspor, while Miller (11th) and Borchgrevink (20th) were cautioned for Hearts.
Trabzonspor lost two players late on, though not for the same reason. Saviolo went off injured in the 87th minute and was replaced by Kuzey Akcay.
In the fifth minute of stoppage time, Cabral was shown a second yellow card for a bad foul and sent off. The referee blew the final whistle shortly afterward.
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