‘Always the main deal’ – Hibs & Hearts primed for ‘special’ derby

No Edinburgh derby is ever a quiet affair, but Saturday’s clash between Hibs and Hearts at Easter Road has more weight than most, with Gorgie fans flying high above the Scottish Premiership.

The sides first met on Christmas Day 1875, when Hearts won with a goal to end the match. Since then, the rivalry has endured.

Hearts are six points clear of second-place Celtic after 150 years, having won more games than the defending champions, and Derek McInnes’ side is in fifth place by 16 points.

After already defeating Celtic and Rangers this month, the boys’ maroon campaign would have real momentum heading into 2026 with a second derby victory.

Although he acknowledged Hearts’ impressive form, forward Martin Boyle is a veteran of 22 Edinburgh derbies, he firmly believes Hibs can pull off a second league defeat for McInnes’ men.

They’re doing great, so hats off to them, Boyle said, but it’s up to us to concentrate on ourselves. “And of course, we’ll be trying to beat them and win.”

They are obviously maintaining that consistency is essential in this league. In a derby, the adage “form goes out the window” is true, so we should be able to try our best and get the desired result.

Craig Halkett’s final-gasp strike at Tynecastle in early October secured Hearts’ victory and caused wild scenes of celebration both on and off the pitch.

McInnes anticipates a similarly contentious matter to be decided by narrow margins.

According to McInnes, “for Hearts and Hibs, it’s always the main deal.” It’s always a significant occasion.

We simply want to get three points in order to keep the momentum going for the rest of the season.

Hibs have a good side, and Easter Road is a challenging game to play. There was nothing in it, and we scored in the final moments of the game, which heightened our excitement. “I expect it to be very similar to the game at Tynecastle.”

Boyle was at Tynecastle the other end of those emotions, and she is determined to rectify the situation in front of a crowded Easter Road crowd.

He said, “Yes, obviously it hurts, but losing a derby is never pleasant,” “yes, obviously it hurts.” At the conclusion of the game, it’s obvious that you remember what you were celebrating in our faces.

I believed we didn’t deserve to lose the game because of the chances we missed. We didn’t defend our box as best as we could, and we were punished, so a draw would have been a fair result.

Hibs are only five points behind Motherwell in third place despite having inconsistent results this season.

Boyle continued, “We can undoubtedly relight the season.” It’s a tough game, and it’s not coming any worse, despite how they’re playing right now. It’s up to us to decide the outcome.

We must work hard, take chances, defend the box, and fight for our lives.

After missing the draw against Dundee United, Chris Cadden and Warren O’Hora could make a return to the Hibs squad. Following a two-month absence on the sidelines, Rudi Molotnikov has resumed his training.