Falkirk 0-2 Hearts: Post-match review, Stats, Key moments

Dive into Coral’s post-match review of Falkirk 0-2 Hearts in the Premiership on Saturday, 13 December 2025, with stats, key moments and our take on the match.

Hearts came away with a solid 2-0 victory over Falkirk in this Scottish Premiership clash. The visitors got off to a flying start when Cláudio Braga found the net in just the 2nd minute, setting the tone early on. Falkirk tried to respond but couldn’t break through, with yellow cards for Filip Lissah in the 39th and Hearts’ Tómas Bent Magnússon in the 28th and Craig Halkett in the 41st adding some tension before the break, as Hearts built on their recent strong form including a win over Celtic.

In the second half, Falkirk made a triple substitution in the 68th minute with Brian Graham, Dylan Tait and E. Williams coming on for Alfie Agyeman, Henry Cartwright and Ethan Ross respectively, hoping to spark a comeback after back-to-back losses. Hearts then extended their lead when Stephen Kingsley scored in the 77th, assisted by Oisin McEntee, shortly after replacing Harry Milne in the 74th. Late changes saw both sides using all five subs, but Falkirk’s efforts, including a yellow for Sam Hart in the 85th, weren’t enough to turn things around against a Hearts side that’s now unbeaten in four.

Hearts edged possession with 53% compared to Falkirk’s 47%, showing they controlled the game slightly more, which helped them create better chances as seen in their seven corners against Falkirk’s three. Falkirk had the upper hand in successful dribbles at 40 to Hearts’ 33, suggesting they were lively on the ball but couldn’t convert that into goals, while both teams picked up two yellow cards each, keeping things feisty without any reds.

The assists tally of one for Hearts and none for Falkirk underlines where the cutting edge came from, and both managers used all five substitutions – Falkirk shaking things up with a triple change at 68’ where Brian Graham replaced Alfie Agyeman, Dylan Tait came on for Henry Cartwright and E. Williams for Ethan Ross, followed by Scott Arfield for Calvin Miller at 76’ and Ryan Edwards for Filip Lissah at 82’. Hearts mirrored that with Stephen Kingsley for Harry Milne at 74’, then Elton Kabangu for Cláudio Braga and Blair Spittal for Alexandros Kyziridis at 81’, Sabah Kerjota for Lawrence Shankland at 82’, and Jamie McCart for Cammy Devlin at 87’, helping them see out the win without any penalties or injury-time drama.

The game burst into life right away with Cláudio Braga’s goal for Hearts in the 2nd minute, giving them an early lead that Falkirk struggled to overturn. Tensions rose with yellow cards dished out to Filip Lissah for Falkirk in the 39th, and to Hearts’ Tómas Bent Magnússon in the 28th and Craig Halkett in the 41st, but neither side could add to the scoreline before half-time.

Falkirk’s triple substitution at 68’ aimed to inject energy, but it was Hearts who capitalised when Stephen Kingsley, fresh on for Harry Milne at 74’, scored their second in the 77th with an assist from Oisin McEntee. Late yellow for Falkirk’s Sam Hart in the 85th summed up their frustration, as further subs from both teams couldn’t shift the momentum.

Falkirk lined up in a 4-2-3-1 shape, looking to balance defence and attack with players like Filip Lissah in the backline and Ethan Ross pushing forward before his substitution. Partnerships in midfield, including Henry Cartwright before he made way, aimed to control the tempo, while Calvin Miller added width until Scott Arfield replaced him late on.

Hearts set up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with strong defensive roles from players like Craig Halkett and attacking threats led by Cláudio Braga, who scored early before Elton Kabangu took his place. Midfield partnerships involving Cammy Devlin, subbed off for Jamie McCart, supported forwards like Lawrence Shankland, who was replaced by Sabah Kerjota, helping maintain their structure throughout.

Cláudio Braga earned Coral’s Man of the Match honours for his standout performance, bagging the opening goal in the 2nd minute and delivering three key passes that kept Hearts on the front foot. While he didn’t notch any assists or create big chances, his early strike set the tone, and he stayed influential until being replaced by Elton Kabangu in the 81st minute.

Recent Premiership matches:

• Loss: 0-2 vs Hearts (H)
• Loss: 0-3 vs Hibernian (A)
• Draw: 0-0 vs Motherwell (H)
• Draw: 0-0 vs Rangers (A)
• Win: 3-0 vs Dundee United (A)

Recent Premiership matches:

• Win: 2-0 vs Falkirk (A)
• Win: 2-1 vs Celtic (A)
• Draw: 1-1 vs Kilmarnock (H)
• Draw: 0-0 vs Motherwell (A)
• Loss: 0-1 vs Aberdeen (A)

Falkirk have just suffered a 0-2 home defeat to Hearts, extending their winless run to four games after draws with Motherwell and Rangers, and a loss to Hibernian. Sitting seventh on 21 points, they’ll be keen to bounce back against Kilmarnock on 20 December 2025 at 15:00, with the visitors currently 11th on 12 points – a win could help Falkirk push towards the top half and build some momentum.

Hearts have just secured a 2-0 away win over Falkirk, building on their impressive recent form with back-to-back victories including against Celtic, after draws with Kilmarnock and Motherwell. Top of the table on 38 points, they face a tough test against Rangers on 21 December 2025 at 13:30, with the opponents fourth on 26 points – three points here could solidify their lead at the summit.

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