Nordsjaelland head coach Jens Olsen believes there is potential for an away win against Heart of Midlothian when the sides meet in their UEFA Conference League group stage opener in Edinburgh on Thursday. The Danish coach's comments follow a 1-1 draw between the teams just days ago, a result that leaves Heart of Midlothian third in the Scottish Premiership with 16 points from eight games. Heart of Midlothian' recent form includes a 5-0 win over St Mirren and a 2-1 loss to Dundee United, while Nordsjaelland are unbeaten in their last three Superliga matches, scoring seven goals.
Olsen, 51, has watched many of Heart of Midlothian' recent matches and acknowledged the club's development. "A great season last year, changing the coach and also selling a few players, but I think they started well, and the new coach is trying to build some layer on the style of play," he said. He identified the team's front four of Claudio Braga, James Wilson, Josh McPake and Calvin Miller as a significant threat, with McPake the club's top scorer this season with three goals. Olsen also noted that Heart of Midlothian have scored 8 of their 13 league goals between the 61st and 90th minutes, a period where they are particularly dangerous.
Olsen impressed by Altena
The Nordsjaelland boss was particularly impressed with Heart of Midlothian' right-back Jordi Altena. Olsen described the defender as a "good dynamic player, can defend and can also overtake the wingers' position on the side." His assessment reflects Altena's ability to contribute in both defensive and attacking situations, a quality Olsen has clearly noted in his preparations. The Danish side will need to be wary of Heart of Midlothian' attacking momentum, shown in their 5-0 league win over St Mirren earlier this month.
European ambitions for both
For Olsen's team, this campaign represents another chance to advance beyond a European group stage for the first time. He reflected on past campaigns, including a Champions League group stage appearance about a decade ago. "I think it was 10 years ago or something, we've been in the Champions League group stage without winning," Olsen said. "I think we got one point." More recently, Nordsjaelland earned 10 points in a Conference League group three years ago but still did not progress, making progression this season a clear objective. Olsen stated his team's goal is to finish in the top two of the group to secure a knockout round place.
Heart of Midlothian, meanwhile, turn their focus immediately to a massive Premiership fixture away to league leaders Celtic this Sunday. The team's current standing and recent results, including that 1-1 draw with Nordsjaelland where Owen McEntee scored, are detailed in our standings section. The source report confirms Heart of Midlothian' next match is against Celtic on Sunday, a key domestic test following their European opener.
This story first appeared at bbc.com
