Hearts Vs Aberdeen — hearts vs aberdeen: Braga keeps Hearts on title track

In the hearts vs aberdeen clash at Tynecastle, Hearts defeated Aberdeen 1-0 as Cláudio Braga scored just before the half-hour mark to move Hearts seven points clear of Rangers at the top of the Scottish Premiership. The result gained added attention with Sir Alex Ferguson watching from the Tynecastle stands and Hearts cancelling a planned Dubai warm‑weather training camp amid escalating hostilities in the Middle East.

Hearts Vs Aberdeen: Braga’s strike, Ferguson in attendance and the title picture

Cláudio Braga’s goal just before the half‑hour mark proved decisive as Hearts beat Aberdeen 1-0 and stretched their lead to seven points over Rangers at the top of the Scottish Premiership. Sir Alex Ferguson watched the match at Tynecastle as a guest of Hearts coach Derek McInnes; McInnes said Ferguson had sat in the office for about an hour before the game and that he was grateful Ferguson had made the effort to come and see the team.

Supporters greeted the final whistle with jubilation as Hearts stretched their lead over both Rangers and Celtic, the latter pair set to meet at Ibrox on Sunday in what was described as a high‑stakes, high noon showdown. McInnes called it a big game, praised the performance and said the victory was “a good three points, no more than we deserved, ” while noting he would have liked a second goal to ease the finish.

Team changes and the key chances that shaped the match

Hearts made two changes from the side that started the previous weekend’s win over Falkirk, with Jamie McCart and Landry Kaboré replacing Stuart Findlay and Islam Chesnokov. Aberdeen interim manager Peter Leven made three changes from the team that drew 0-0 at Dundee United on Tuesday: Per Kristian Bråtveit, Tom McIntyre and Kenan Bilalovic were replaced by Dimitar Mitov, Liam Morrison and Topi Keskinen.

The hosts started strongly. Tómas Magnússon had the first chance in the fourth minute when he headed wide from a Blair Spittal cross. Alexandros Kyziridis then forced a save with a shot that was deflected into the arms of Dimitar Mitov, and Braga tested the goalkeeper with a low effort from just inside the box. Braga also glanced a header over from a Harry Milne cross. Kaboré carved out a big opportunity in the 21st minute when he got clean through but his lob over Mitov drifted wide, and Aberdeen’s Toyosi Olusanya lashed wide from a Topi Keskinen cross in the 26th minute. The breakthrough came in the 28th minute when Braga scored the decisive goal.

Aberdeen had not won at Tynecastle since May 2017, a run that continued after this defeat.

McInnes on the cancelled Dubai trip and how Hearts will prepare

Hearts had planned to travel to Dubai on Monday for a warm‑weather training camp, but those plans were shelved amid escalating hostilities in the Middle East. McInnes said the squad “woke up this morning and were resigned to it that we’ll not be travelling, ” adding that there were more important things going on. He described the cancellation as disappointing but suggested the club might try to rearrange a similar trip later, and confirmed the team would train as normal in Edinburgh this week.

Supporter information for the Tynecastle fixture and matchday rules

Supporters attending Hearts’ Premiership match against Aberdeen were given detailed matchday information. The Ticket Office was open from 9am until kick‑off, then reopening briefly at full‑time; the Clubstore was open from 9am until kick‑off and then from full‑time until 6pm. The Tynie Shop in the Wheatfield Stand operated pre‑match and at half‑time, and a pop‑up shop in the Wheatfield Stand was open pre‑match and at half‑time selling tops, scarves and other matchday essentials with card payment only.

The Eighteen74 Bar in the Main Stand opened from 12pm for match ticket holders. Kiosks were open throughout the stadium and accepted card payments only. The programme was on sale for £4 around the ground, in the Clubstore and in the Tynie Shop. Supporters were advised to plan journeys because of a road closure on Gorgie Road, and organisers said the Ticket Exchange was open until 2pm on Saturday. The Ticket Office was expected to be very busy, and supporters were encouraged to arrive in plenty of time to collect tickets and enter the stadium to allow for any delays.

Searching was a condition of entry and refusal to cooperate would result in refused entry. Anyone deemed to have consumed excessive amounts of alcohol would be refused entry, and supporters were reminded not to attempt to bring prohibited items into the stadium, including pyrotechnics. Unacceptable conduct would result in ejection, and any supporter who had been ejected would face sanctions under the club’s unacceptable conduct policy. After the match, supporters were asked not to gather on Wheatfield Street, as players would no longer be stopping upon exiting the stadium for health and safety reasons.

As the teams emerged from the tunnel, Colin Chisholm, who performed the 1986 version of The Hearts Song, performed a live version from pitchside.

Wider Scottish Premiership notes, manager reactions and TV highlights

Sportscene highlights were scheduled to start at 19: 15 ET, with Richard Foster joining Steven Thompson in the studio to analyse the day’s goals. Elsewhere in the league, Kilmarnock manager Neil McCann said it “doesn’t help when you lose a goal in the first minute” and that his side were beaten by the better team, adding it was “a sobering day” and “a reality check. ”

Hibernian head coach David Gray described “very mixed” emotions after his side conceded a late goal, saying it felt like two points dropped, that conceding goals had let them down, and that his players had shown character to come from 2-1 down to go 3-2 up before finishing with a draw. Dundee United manager Jim Goodwin criticised a penalty decision in his side’s match with Motherwell, noting Motherwell had not had a shot on target prior to the penalty and questioning why VAR was involved; he also said the referee did not deem the incident violent conduct or Vicko Sevelj would have been sent off. Goodwin added that his side went in 1-0 down at half‑time and that a second goal against them was the killer blow. St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson described a 1-1 outcome as “a point gained, ” saying any point away from home was positive but that his side had failed to defend a long ball into the box properly.