Trabzonspor made light work of Hearts in this UEFA Conference League knockout tie, securing a 2-0 victory at home to advance cleanly. M. Salah opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 32nd minute, then Franculino added a second in the 58th, assisted by Salah, to put the tie beyond doubt. A late red card for S. Lopes Cabral in the 90+5th minute was merely a footnote to a dominant performance. The designated home side controlled proceedings throughout and never really looked troubled, managing both their attacking threat and defensive shape with the kind of composure you'd expect at this stage of the competition.

Our model predicted exactly this scoreline going in, backing Trabzonspor at a 66 per cent win probability. That's a strong lean, though it's worth saying it wasn't a slam dunk — there was always a meaningful chance of a different outcome, and the draw and Hearts upset sat at 21 and 13 per cent respectively. The match unfolded very much in line with what the pre-match analysis suggested: Trabzonspor's excellent home form and defensive solidity proved decisive against Hearts' inconsistent away record, and the knockout stakes ensured both sides were fully committed without producing an open, chaotic contest. Clean sheets and efficient, controlled football tend to win these sorts of ties, and that's exactly what happened here.