Hearts warning from coach Neil Critchley as he laments a missed opportunity in Europe

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The head coach names some of Copenhagen’s dangermen

With two matches remaining in the UEFA Conference League’s new-look league phase, Hearts coach Neil Critchley is imploring his team to seize their moment in Denmark this week. He wants a result against FC Copenhagen on Thursday night to avoid heightening pressure ahead of the final tie against Petrocub at Tynecastle seven days later.

Three points would effectively secure Hearts’ place in the tournament’s knockout play-off round, although one may be sufficient depending on other teams’ results. The Conference League is approaching a climax and Hearts remain in a strong position. They beat Dinamo Minsk and Omonoia Nicosia in their first two games but then lost to Heidenheim and Cercle Brugge. Copenhagen away is by far the toughest of their six ties given the hosts are a Pot 1 seed, whilst Hearts are Pot 4.

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Critchley lamented a missed opportunity in Belgium two weeks ago, when Cercle won 2-0 despite Hearts creating enough chances for victory. Lawrence Shankland’s late penalty went over the crossbar and other openings were not converted. Now, with two games remaining, the head coach warned that he does not want everything resting on the final match.

“No, definitely not,” he told the Edinburgh News. “That was the message a good few weeks ago: Not to miss opportunities. We missed one in Bruges. We should have got something from that game but we didn't do well enough on the night. So we've now got another opportunity, albeit a tougher one. But let's go there and give it everything we've got.

“It’s a totally different challenge against a very good team. I think it's our toughest game in this league phase. Copenhagen are the Pot 1 team. They were a Champions League team last year and, when you watch them play, you can see their quality. It's a real tough task but it's an exciting one. That's why we're in Europe. We're going to a magnificent stadium, so bring it on.”

Critchley identified some of Copenhagen’s attacking players with the potential to cause damage on Thursday. “There's probably a few players who stand out,” he remarked. “I like the wide players. I know [Mohamed] Elyounoussi from coming up against him during his time at Southampton. They've got a young Brazilian winger [Robert] who's good, but they've got some experience as well; some international players who are good. They've got a good balance.

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“They are good with the ball and without the ball. They're a really good team in all facets of the game. We're going to have to play very well but we can bring confidence from beating Dundee on Saturday, plus some confidence from our European games and other games against tougher opposition recently.”

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