Edinburgh's two biggest clubs will meet in a Scottish League Cup semi-final for the first time in the competition's history after both sides progressed through the quarter-final stage over the weekend. Hearts head coach Frankie Vrancken and Hibernian counterpart David Gray now face the prospect of leading their teams into a derby clash on the biggest domestic stage below the final itself.
Hearts secured their place in the last four with a comfortable 3-0 win over Championship leaders Stenhousemuir on Friday, while Hibs followed suit a day later, seeing off League 1 pace-setters Ross County by an identical scoreline to avoid an embarrassing upset of their own.
The draw pits the two rivals against each other at Hampden Park, with the match scheduled for either 31 October or 1 November. It will be the first Edinburgh derby staged at the national stadium since Hearts won a Scottish Cup semi-final 2-1 in 2022. In League Cup history, Hearts hold a commanding 5-1 advantage in previous meetings, though the sides have never before faced off at the semi-final stage of this particular tournament.
Despite the significance of the occasion, Vrancken was quick to play down suggestions that facing Hibs offered any additional motivation beyond what his players already possess. The Belgian, who won the Belgian Cup with Mechelen in 2019 and has already tasted Edinburgh derby success this season courtesy of a 3-1 league win at Easter Road, insisted his focus remains fixed on Tuesday's league fixture against Falkirk.
"Looking forward to it for sure," Vrancken said of the semi-final. "But the only thing we are thinking of now is Falkirk." He added that his squad had already proven their resolve by transforming a four-match losing run at the start of his reign into a nine-game unbeaten streak, including four consecutive victories, without needing extra incentive from a cup tie against their city rivals.
"It is nice for the fans that it's an Edinburgh derby," the 47-year-old continued. "Either way, we want to win a semi-final, but when you look too far ahead, you don't see the things that are in front of you." He also dismissed the notion that Celtic's shock elimination by Rangers—who will face Aberdeen in the other semi-final—opened up the competition, arguing that any team can triumph on a given day regardless of the cup or country involved.
For Gray, the tie represents a first League Cup semi-final as a head coach, following a spell as caretaker boss when Hibs lost the 2021 final to Celtic under Ange Postecoglou. The 38-year-old Scot, whose side had endured a difficult recent run including a Conference League exit and derby defeat, welcomed the timing of the result.
"It will be a brilliant game to look forward to," Gray said. "The stadium will be packed out. I think, no matter who you get in the semi-final, if you look at the four teams that were left, it was always going to be a brilliant atmosphere in any of the games. The fact that you've got an Edinburgh derby definitely adds a little bit more spice to it."
Hearts have not won the League Cup since 1962, despite two final appearances since, the most recent in 2013. Hibs, meanwhile, have lost two finals since their last triumph in 2007. Both clubs were eliminated at the semi-final stage in November 2023, with Hibs falling to Aberdeen and Hearts losing to Rangers.
Based on reporting from BBC Sport Football.