Hibs Women Champions League draw reaction as star names key quality that gives Grant Scott's team vital edge

With a stunning SWPL title triumph still visible in the rearview mirror, Hibs Women have confidence that their ability to upset the odds will carry them into a Champions League campaign boasting a couple of brilliant opportunities cunningly disguised as daunting challenges. Pulling off shock results, after all, has become a sort of modus operandi for Grant Scott’s team over the past year or so.

Kirsten Reilly is already excited about the prospect of taking on Danish side Fortuna Hjorring in the second qualifying round of UEFAs’ revamped competition. Under the new format, Hibs have been paired with the Danes in the semi-final of their mini-group on August 27, with a final/third place play-off to come against Apollon Ladies or BSC Young Boys on August 30. One of the four clubs will act as host for all four games, with a final decision on the ‘home’ city soon.

Reilly, invited to assess her team’s chances of surprising the opposition, declared: “I mean, we've already surprised them by winning the league, so why not do it again? We are confident in our own ability, so we just need to take the same game we played last season into the Champions League - and hopefully it'll work there as well.”

Scott’s team were superb in winning their first title since 2007, consistently seeing off the threat from teams with far bigger budgets and beating their direct rivals in head-to-head contest. Never more so than in the final game of the season, as they defeated Rangers at Ibrox to nullify the direct challenge of the Govan girls – AND keeping fellow challengers Glasgow City at bay.

Reilly hopes that winning mentality will give Hibs an edge in Europe, saying: “I think that'll be massive. You could see the togetherness in the team. We literally fought for absolutely everything last year.

“So if we're able to bring that next season in the Champions League, that will be massive because we obviously don't know what we're up against. We've never seen them before.

“So to have that fighting spirit in the team could be a big point for us. I do think that fight that we have in the team, literally bodies on the line every game, especially against the top team, it showed that we knew what we wanted, and we were all in it together.

Women’s Champions League second qualifying round, Group 2

“So again, we want to win each game that comes up in the Champions League. So if we can put on similar performances, bodies on the line, who knows what can happen?

“We've obviously kept a big core of the squad for next season and all the staff are still here. So we all know each other well, hopefully bringing a couple of new faces as well and integrate them in. But it'll be really good to go in to the Champions League as almost the same squad as last year because we know what we're like, we know how we're playing.

“We've got quite a few girls in the squad that have got European experience. So we can help the ones that haven't.

Revamped league phase mirrors men’s Champions League rejig

“We'll try and get footage and stuff. But we need to play our game and hopefully that can be enough to win these games.

“Everyone will have to step up another level because the opposition will be harder, but I think it's something that we can do, and we'll be looking to do that in pre-season as well. So we're ready.”

Should Hibs get out of Group 2 to reach the third qualifying round, they’ll be one two-legged tie from reaching a revamped league phase of the Champions League. Which would obviously open up all sorts of opportunities to boost both profile and finances – especially if the bigger home games could be shifted from Meadowbank to Easter Road.

“Obviously, we need to just focus on the football side of it and hopefully the finance side will come with it too,” said Reilly. “But it is exciting that it's a new format and we've got a great opportunity.

“The teams we have been drawn against are all great teams. They've won many leagues domestically as well.

“But I think the world's our oyster in this tournament. We can win this little group that we're in and hopefully we can progress to the next stages.

“Our fans were amazing this whole year. So I think they're really excited with the position that we're in and they'll be supporting us in these group games as well. So yeah, Easter Road would be a great venue, but we'll just need to wait and see what we do.”