Allan Preston
Ex-Hearts defender on BBC Sportsound

A hat-trick of chances for Luka Jovic, none of them taken. Christian Kouame whips in a cross which the Serbian glances towards goal but it ends up going wide.

Hearts are living dangerously.

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Stephen Kingsley is into the book, going straight through the back of Riccardo Saponara. The Italian is rolling about on the wet turf, he appears to be struggling and the stretcher is on.

Meanwhile, Robbie Neilson has called his entire eleven across for an impromptu meeting on the Hearts touchline. Something needs to change.

Luka Jovic flashes one high and wide, and he could have done better.

The ball bobbled to him about eight yards out and on the half-volley, he hits a wild effort into the Gorgie Stand. This is his first European start, and he's not a million miles away from his first European goal for La Viola.

Martin Watt
BBC Sport Scotland at Tynecastle

Robbie Neilson cuts a perturbed figure as his side try to hang on amid Fiorentina's early dominance.

The Hearts boss darts between touchline and dugout to chat to his coaches and try to figure out a way to stem the flow.

There's no denying Fiorentina look a top-class team, right enough.

Craig Gordon with another fine stop to deny the visitors.

This time, Fiorentina centre-back Igor goes for a wander through the Hearts half and lashes one at goal from 30 yards, with Gordon tipping behind.

Allan Preston
Ex-Hearts defender on BBC Sportsound

Hearts are in trouble here. Sofyan Amrabat dances past Lewis Neilson, leaving him on the deck, and chips a delicate ball to the back-post, but the hosts manage to scramble away. Craig Gordon then manages to punch the resulting corner away. Tynecastle breathes a sigh of relief.

Fiorentina go close again. A corner is swung in from the left, Luka Jovic gets away from Alex Cochrane and powers his header inches over the bar.

A warning for Hearts.

Martin Watt
BBC Sport Scotland at Tynecastle

Far too soft a concession from Hearts. The marking was non-existent as Mandragora ghosted in to head home.

Can the hosts summon a response?

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Pierluigi Gollini perhaps gets away with one, reaching out and touching the ball outside the box. The referee waves away the protests.

Hearts keep the pressure up and swing a cross in, but the header is planted straight at Gollini.

Craig Levein
Former Scotland manager on BBC Sportsound

Belgian referee Erik Lambrechts gets us underway, with Fiorentina kicking off towards the Gorgie stand.

Not the famous purple kit tonight, far too close to the also famous maroon...

Martin Watt
BBC Sport Scotland at Tynecastle

The players emerge to a rapturous roar. Tynecastle is absolutely bouncing now.

European nights here are pretty special.

Former Hearts and Fiorentina defender Pasquale Bruno has been speaking to Sportsound pre-match: "Fantastic night," he said. "It's two important teams in my life. Coming back to Tynecastle is a great emotion.

"Fiorentina was an important team for me, my wife and my kids - we've lived there for years. Let's hope it will be a good game. Fiorentina, technically are stronger than hearts, so if Hearts try to play they will find difficulties.

"There have to play with passion, have blood in the veins. With this mentality, Hearts have a chance.

"Fiorentina always want to attack, they are struggling a bit at the back, but it's a different style.

"I came here and enjoyed the way of the people. I enjoyed life in Edinburgh too much! On the pitch it was hard, strong football, but outside my family enjoyed Edinburgh. Great memories."

Hearts boss Robbie Neilson has been speaking to BBC Sportsound: "It's outstanding, this is what we want to be doing regularly and to have a team of Fiorentina's calibre coming to Tynecastle, full house, it's great. But we aren't here to make the numbers up, we're here to give them a game.

"Riga was fantastic for everyone, it gave us the confidence that we can compete at this level, but this is another couple levels up. We need to be at it tonight and it's going to be tough.

"We have to defend properly. The last couple of games we've not defended as we would like. We've changed the shape and brought some pace up front with Ginnelly and McKay.

"Italiano plays a high aggressive press and if we play too centrally, they'll regain because they are top players. We need to be more direct. We have to play a different kind of football than we're used to.

[On Craig Gordon] "The fans need to enjoy him whilst he's here. He like a fine wine, he keeps getting better and better. This is the reason he came back. He had the chance to go to bigger clubs, being a number two or three but he wanted to help us win the Championship, to get back in the Scotland set up and play on occasions like this."

As Hearts and Fiorentina meet, fans will take time to remember one player that links the sides - Stefano Salvatori.

A tough-tackling midfielder, he had arrived at Hearts in 1996 with a decent CV, having won a European Cup winner's medal with AC Milan before two spells at La Viola, as well as Parma and Atalanta.

He became a popular figure in the dressing room and the stands soon after his arrival in Edinburgh, and although he missed out the 1996 League Cup Final defeat to Rangers, he was integral in the side that reaped revenge by winning the 1998 Scottish Cup Final against the same opposition.

Sadly, the Italian passed away in 2017 at the age of 49.

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