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Sports Mole previews Thursday's Europa Conference League clash between Rigas Futbola Skola and Hearts, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.

Hearts make the trip to Latvia to face Rigas Futbola Skola looking to bounce back from a demoralising start in the Europa Conference League.

On the same evening that Hearts succumbed tamely at home to Istanbul Basaksehir, RFS recorded one of their most famous results with a draw against Fiorentina.

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Match preview

Having decisively finished in third position in the Scottish Premiership during 2021-22, this campaign was supposed to be another of progression for Hearts.

However, they head into their next game on the back of six defeats from seven matches in all competitions, their solitary win during that time coming by a 3-2 scoreline at home to St Johnstone.

The sense of occasion for the Tynecastle meeting with Istanbul Basaksehir gave Robbie Neilson's team an opportunity to raise their game against opponents who would have been regarded as rivals for second place behind Fiorentina.

Instead, the Turkish giants ran riot in Edinburgh, posting a 4-0 triumph with three of their goals coming during the final quarter of the encounter.

The postponement of matches in the United Kingdom last weekend has led to Hearts and Neilson having longer to dwell on that result ahead of what is simply a must-win fixture in Riga.

RFS would have undoubtedly been viewed as the minnows of the group given the manner of their last-gasp progress past Linfield in the playoff round.

That is no longer the case after Viktors Morozs's team stunned Fiorentina, coming from behind to earn a 1-1 draw in Italy courtesy of Andrej Ilic's 74th-minute equaliser.

RFS's wait for a clean sheet in European fixtures has been stretched to seven matches and 14 months, but they are now very much in the race for qualification with their easiest match on paper to come next.

Although RFS are on a 10-match unbeaten streak in all competitions, they are seven points adrift of the leaders in Latvia's top flight.

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Team News

Barring any injury issues, Morozs will almost certainly be prepared to stick with the same RFS XI from the draw at Fiorentina.

However, Morozs has plenty of options in reserve, including Deniss Rakels, a player who has eight goals from 15 league games this season and could slot into the attack if Morozs wanted to switch to a front two.

Neilson may want to stick with the 4-4-1-1 formation that he used against Istanbul Basaksehir, aware that their hosts are full of confidence and his own team are not.

Hearts are boosted by the return of Jorge Grant from suspension and the midfielder could slot into the most advanced role of the central three.

Toby Sibbick and Gary Mackay-Steven will also feel that they are in contention for recalls given the level of performance last week.

Rigas Futbola Skola possible starting lineup:
Steinbors; Jagodinskis, Lipuscek, Stuglis; Sorokins, Saric, Panic, Mares; Simkovic, Ilic, Deocleciano

Hearts possible starting lineup:
Gordon; Atkinson, Sibbick, Kingsley, Cochrane; Forrest, Haring, Devlin, Mackay-Steven; Grant; Shankland

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We say: Rigas Futbola Skola 1-1 Hearts

This feels like a difficult match to call with Hearts previously having been regarded as favourites until the heroics of RFS last week. The home side probably possess the favourites tag now, but we are going to back Hearts to earn a spirited share of the spoils.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

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