What's happened
Hibs have secured a 2-1 victory over Shkendija in Edinburgh, with O’Hora’s stoppage-time strike giving them a narrow win ahead of the second leg in Skopje. The match was laboured for long spells, with both sides failing to find fluency, but substitutions and late drama changed the outcome. The win leaves Hibs with work to do in the return leg.
What's behind the headline?
Live, assertive analysis
- Hibs have secured a vital, if fragile, win that changes the mood around the squad. Elding and Lowe have demonstrated how effective the forward line can be when supported by a dynamic midfield.
- The game exposed gaps in creativity, with Mulligan and Chaiwa under pressure to unlock organised defences. Gray’s decision to bring on Suto and Wright injected direct running and tempo late on, which paid off.
- The result shifts the tie’s balance, but it also increases risk in the away leg where perspective conditions and a hostile environment could amplify errors. Expect more bench-based experimentation from Gray as he looks to protect a slender aggregate lead.
- Look for Hibs to lean on pace and direct attacks in Skopje, while ensuring defensive compactness to withstand counterpunches in the heat.
How we got here
Hibs faced a stern test after a poor league start and injuries to key creative players. The tie began in Edinburgh, with the second leg due in Skopje in the heat of a predicted 35C, potentially affecting the performance.
Our analysis
- The Scotsman: O'Hora sinks Shkendija as Hibs edge to first-leg win in Edinburgh. - BBC Business: Gray’s side rallies to four-goal comeback in second leg, cementing leadership in group stage prospects. - The Scotsman (different angle): Tactical tweaks and injuries shape Hibs’ risk-reward balance in the tie.
Go deeper
- Can Hibs sustain momentum in the return leg in Skopje?
- Which players will be the key to unlocking Skopje’s defence?
- How will the heat impact the match dynamics?
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Easter Road is a football stadium located in the Leith area of Edinburgh, Scotland, which is the home ground of Scottish Premiership club Hibernian (Hibs). The stadium currently has an all-seated capacity of 20,421, which makes it the fifth-largest football stadium in Scotland. Easter Road is also known by Hibs fans as "The Holy Ground" or "The Leith San Siro". The venue has also been used to stage international matches, Scottish League Cup semi-finals and was briefly the home ground of the Edinburgh professional rugby union team. Hibs first played at the present site of Easter Road in 1893. The ground holds the record attendance for a Scottish match outside Glasgow, when 65,860 attended an Edinburgh derby on 2 January 1950. The size of the terracing was greatly reduced in the 1980s. After the publication of the Taylor Report, Hibs considered leaving Easter Road and moving to a different site (Straiton, near Loanhead, was mooted), but these plans were abandoned in 1994. Redevelopment of the stadium began in 1995 and was completed in 2010. The Easter Road pitch had a pronounced slope until it was removed in 2000.
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Hibernian Football Club (), commonly known as Hibs, is a professional football club in Edinburgh, Scotland. The team competes in the Scottish Premiership, the top division of Scottish football. The club was founded in 1875 by members of Edinburgh's Irish community, and the name is derived from the Latin for Ireland. The Irish heritage of Hibernian is reflected in the name, colours and badge of the club. The green main shirt colour is usually accompanied by white sleeves and shorts. Their local rivals are Heart of Midlothian, with whom they contest the Edinburgh derby. Home matches are played at Easter Road, which has been in use since 1893, when the club joined the Scottish Football League. The name of the club is regularly shortened to Hibs, with the team also known as the Hibees (pronounced ) and supporters known as "Hibbies". Another nickname is "the Cabbage", derived from the shortened rhyming slang for Hibs ("Cabbage and ribs"). Hibernian have won the Scottish league championship four times, most recently in 1952. Three of those four championships were won between 1948 and 1952, when the club had the services of The Famous Five forward line. The club have won the Scottish Cup three...