Thun’s wild league games and a Hearts squad running on empty
Pre-match update (18:15 CET): The team sheets reported shortly before kick-off have Brighton Labeau and Cláudio Braga both starting, and I have updated the line-ups below. The notable change is Hearts lining up with a back five, with Stuart Findlay in and James Wilson on the bench, which hints at a more cautious approach from Vrancken. That is the risk I flagged in the preview, but with both key forwards on the pitch and Thun’s defence as leaky as ever, I am sticking with Both Teams to Score – Yes at 1.49 with MyStake for 3/10. The odds quoted are from 4 November; prices may have moved since.
Thun’s last league game summed up their season. They fell behind against Lausanne, scored four times to come back and won it 5-4 when Brighton Labeau scored six minutes into stoppage time. Thun have scored 24 and conceded 34 in 12 Super League games. Hearts, meanwhile, arrive with a squad that has been stripped bare: up to ten players could miss the trip, and they are coming off a League Cup semi-final defeat by Hibernian.
Predicted lineups: Thun vs Hearts
Calvin Miller (knee) and Tómas Magnússon (concussion) are the latest names on Hearts‘ injury list, joining Christian Borchgrevink, Craig Halkett, Harry Milne, Oisin McEntee, Blair Spittal, Tom Renaud, Ageu and Rogers Mato. Yan Dhanda is not in the European squad. The team sheets reported just before kick-off show Vrancken going with a back five, Stuart Findlay coming in alongside Malachi Fagan-Walcott and Jamie McCart, while Sabri Guendouz starts in midfield and James Wilson drops to the bench. Cláudio Braga leads the line on his own. Thun keep Brighton Labeau and Furkan Dursun up front; Lucien Dähler starts at right-back, and Justin Roth and Nico Maier come into midfield. Thun are without Louis Passavant, Genís Montolio, Fabio Saiz and Mats Seiler, while Marc Gutbub is back on the bench.
FC Thun Team News & Preview
Thun are ninth in Switzerland and their defence is the weakest in the league: 34 goals conceded, 26.3 expected goals against and a goalkeeper, Niklas Steffen, who is well below par on shot-stopping. But they score too. Two goals a game is a healthy return, and Labeau and Furkan Dursun, with five goals and four assists respectively, have built a good partnership.
The odd thing is Europe. Thun lost 1-0 at Twente and 1-0 at home to Hajduk Split and have not scored in either game. The Lausanne win should help their confidence in front of goal.
What works for or against Thun
- Two goals per Super League game.
- Came from behind to win 5-4 at Lausanne.
- 34 league goals conceded, the most in Switzerland.
- No goal in two Conference League games.
Hearts Team News & Preview
The injuries are the story at Tynecastle. Wouter Vrancken has lost first-team players in every line, and the results have suffered: a 7-1 defeat at Celtic, a 2-2 draw with Rangers and Sunday’s 2-1 defeat by Hibs at Hampden. In Europe, Hearts drew 1-1 with Nordsjælland and lost 2-0 in Trabzon.
They still have attacking quality. Cláudio Braga has five league goals and Joshua McPake, their highest-rated player, has five assists. Hearts average 2.2 goals per Premiership game, the second-best record in Scotland.
What works for or against Hearts
- 2.2 goals per Premiership game.
- Braga and McPake both in form.
- Up to ten players missing.
- One point from two Conference League games.
Thun vs Hearts Odds
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Over/Under
Both Teams to Score
FC Thun vs. Hearts Stats Comparison
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FC Thun vs. Hearts Form Guide
FC Thun Form, Stats & Data
Thun concede 2.83 goals per league game. Even a depleted Hearts side should find chances against that defence.
Hearts Form, Stats & Data
Hearts have scored freely in Scotland, but with this many absences the defence is the bigger worry for Vrancken.
Thun vs Hearts: Prediction & Betting Tip
Thun have the leakiest defence in Switzerland and Hearts score more than two a game in Scotland, even if this is a weakened side. At the other end, a Hearts back line without Halkett, Milne and McEntee is facing a Thun attack that scores twice per league game. I expect both teams to find the net.
Thun have yet to score in Europe, and that is what could undo this. Both of their league-phase games were tight, low-scoring affairs, and Hearts might set up cautiously with so many players missing. The domestic numbers on both sides are too strong to ignore, so I am going with Both Teams to Score – Yes at 1.49 with MyStake for 3/10, and I have 2-1 to Thun as my score.