Photo via BBC Sport

Does derby semi add 'more spice' or simply 'nice for fans'?

An Edinburgh derby has been set for the League Cup last four, where Hearts will take on Hibernian at Hampden Park on either October 31 or the following day. Hearts manager Wouter Vrancken, a 47-year-old who captured silverware with Mechelen in 2019, secured passage with a 3-0 victory against Stenhousemuir, though he insists his current focus remains exclusively on an upcoming league fixture with Falkirk rather than looking forward to the December final.

His Tynecastle squad enters in strong form, bouncing back from four consecutive defeats at the start of his term with an undefeated streak of nine games that features four straight triumphs, including a 3-1 league victory at Easter Road. Despite Celtic crashing out against Rangers—who are slated to clash with Aberdeen in the alternate semifinal—Vrancken downplayed suggestions of an open field, remarking that any team can prevail on a given afternoon.

Hibernian also sealed their spot via a 3-0 win over Ross County, giving 38-year-old manager David Gray much-needed relief amid a difficult spell of a single victory across five matches, which featured a European Conference League departure and that recent league defeat to Hearts. Gray welcomed the encounter, noting that facing their cross-town foes injects added excitement into a fixture bound to draw a capacity crowd.

This will mark the first time these two clubs battle at this specific phase of the competition, although Hearts boast a 5-1 historical edge in overall League Cup matchups and won their most recent Hampden clash 2-1 during the 2022 Scottish Cup semifinals. Both outfits last featured in a League Cup semifinal in November 2023, where Hibs fell to Aberdeen and Hearts were eliminated by Rangers; Hibs have suffered two final defeats since their third title in 2007, while Hearts have similarly lost two finals since last hoisting the trophy back in 1962.

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