Football
Football
Late Drama Sees Aberdeen Stun Hearts with Stoppage-Time Comeback
Aberdeen mounted a stunning late comeback at Pittodrie on Saturday, overturning a deficit with two stoppage-time goals to defeat Hearts 2-1 in their Premiership opener. The home side, fresh off four straight League Cup victories, snatched victory from a Hearts team that had seemed poised for a much-needed win after a challenging summer.
Hearts, who were runners-up in the Premiership last season, took the lead through Oisin McEntee’s close-range strike in the first half. Despite some early pressure from Aberdeen, Hearts appeared to be managing the game confidently, with new players like Amadou Ba-Sy and Laurent Mendy integrating well alongside experienced figures such as Harry Milne and Blair Spittal. Head coach Wouter Vrancken had urged more clinical finishing from his squad after recent Champions League qualifying losses to Sturm Graz, and while they scored, defensive lapses ultimately proved costly.
The match dramatically shifted in the final moments. Lewis Mayo equalized for Aberdeen in the 90th minute. The decisive blow came even later, when Kevin Nisbet converted a penalty in the 95th minute after Stuart Findlay was shown a red card for denying a clear goal-scoring opportunity. This marked a third consecutive defeat for Vrancken, who replaced Derek McInnes in June.
This victory for Aberdeen, captained by Kevin Nisbet, provided a stark contrast to a year prior when Hearts had beaten them at home after a perfect League Cup group stage. Aberdeen manager Stephen Robinson, whose side had built momentum with a perfect run in their four League Cup group-stage matches, even started Chris Cadden a day after his transfer. Hearts, meanwhile, made five changes to the squad that lost to Sturm Graz, including debuts for goalkeeper Beau Reus and Laurent Mendy.
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