Derbies are always a big deal. When the visitors are five games away from a possible first title in 66 years, the stakes are sky high.
Hearts sit top of the Scottish Premiership pile, above Celtic on goal difference after the defending champions’ win on Saturday, and one clear of Rangers.
The leaders begin their post-split fixtures at Easter Road on Sunday, with Edinburgh rivals Hibernian looking for a third successive home win in this fixture.
Hearts have toiled on their travels of late, picking one solitary point from their past four games on the road.
Hibs are unbeaten in nine home league matches (W6 D3), with the Old Firm the only teams to have left EH7 with maximum points this term.
But is a short trip across town on the number one bus really an away day and what’s that they say about the form book on occasions like this?
After all, Hearts had beaten Celtic and Rangers to go six points clear in the weeks before their late December trip to the outskirts of Leith when they found themselves 3-0 down after 48 minutes.
“It’s going to take a performance like that again,” said Hibs boss David Gray of that eventual 3-2 victory. “But I’m not going to say it’s all about performance because it’s all about winning. That’s the most important thing at this stage.
“We take confidence from how we started the home game. We got the early goal and it was a real dominant display.”
Hibs have had two weeks to stew over a meek 2-0 defeat in Aberdeen, while Hearts have been to Spain for a training camp since coming from behind to beat Motherwell 3-1 with a couple of late goals at Tynecastle.
“We’re the first team other than Celtic or Rangers to be sitting top of the league going into the split,” observed Hearts manager Derek McInnes. “We just want to try and enjoy it now and finish off the job.
“When you look at the fixtures, each one will be a different task but every one is a really tough game. Arguably, we could be getting the toughest game of the lot in the first one with all the dynamics of the derby, but it’s a great game to be involved in.
“I think if you can get off to a good start in the split, it can give you that added momentum and confidence that anything’s possible.”
