Hibernian are playing Gent in the second leg of their Conference League play-off on Thursday after a 0-0 draw in the first leg in Belgium last week. Manager David Gray said it’s one of the biggest games since he’s been here in terms of what’s at stake for the football club and the rewards and the benefits that the players, the club, the ownership deserve off the back of what we’ve been doing for the last couple of seasons.
What does Gray mean by cup final mentality?
David Gray said: "We need that cup final mentality and attitude going into the game, we need to try and use the home advantage with that, because very rarely do you have a cup final sort of atmosphere at home, in your own stadium." The Hibs boss is urging his players to treat the Easter Road clash as a decisive moment, especially after suffering a 5-4 aggregate defeat against Legia Warsaw in last year’s play-off round. Owen Elding remains an injury doubt for the forward position, adding to the selection challenges.
How does this fit into Hibs’ European ambitions?
Hibernian are chasing a place in the Conference League group stage and have not made a notable impact in European competitions since the 1970s. Over the past 13 months, they have played against Midtjylland, Partizan Belgrade, Legia, and Shkendija, showing recent exposure to high-level continental football. Ian Gordon, the owner of Hibernian, has backed the squad’s push for progress on and off the pitch.
Where do Hibs stand domestically ahead of the Gent tie?
League standing: 7th in Premiership, 3 pts, 1W-0D-1L from 2 games, recent form WL. Goals this season: 3 scored, 3 conceded (0 goal difference). Title race: 3 points behind leaders Celtic. Next fixture: vs Dundee (away, 2026-08-30) (2nd in the table). The team will look to build momentum from the Gent encounter as they prepare for their upcoming away match, which fans can track via our fixtures page.
What does this mean for the squad moving forward?
A win over Gent would mark Hibs’ first appearance in a European group stage since the 1970s, a milestone that could influence future recruitment and retention. Supporters eager to see how the squad develops can explore player profiles on our squad page, while those interested in performance trends can visit our stats section. The outcome will shape morale and momentum as the season progresses.
