Sturm Graz are the clear win — they're hosting at the Merkur Arena, sit second in the Austrian Bundesliga, and bring real Champions League pedigree from last season's league phase. Hearts, meanwhile, are back at this level for the first time in 20 years, with a reshuffled squad still settling in after a rough summer. That gap in experience should show, especially in a first leg at home for the Austrians.
Sturm Graz are the clear win — they're hosting at the Merkur Arena, sit second in the Austrian Bundesliga, and bring real Champions League pedigree from last season's league phase. Hearts, meanwhile, are back at this level for the first time in 20 years, with a reshuffled squad still settling in after a rough summer. That gap in experience should show, especially in a first leg at home for the Austrians.