© EuroFootball.com
On Monday, after the draw for the semi-finals of the Scottish Cup, it became clear that the tournament favorites, the "Lithuanian" Edinburgh "Hearts" and the other capital club "Hibernian," will have to face each other.
After a long break and none of the major Glasgow clubs making it to the quarter-finals of the cup, everyone expected that "Hearts" and "Hibernian" would clash in the tournament final. Although both teams overcame their quarter-final barriers - "Hearts" defeated "Partick Thistle" thanks to Lithuanian goals, while "Hibernian" crushed "Falkirk" - the draw paired the city rivals already in the semi-finals.
This means that one club not playing in the "Premier" league will participate in the Scottish Cup final and will have a real chance to qualify for the UEFA Cup - either the second division "Gretna," whose stadium accommodates only 2,200 spectators, or the winner of the additional quarter-final match between the first division clubs "Dundee" and "Hamilton."
The Scottish Cup semi-final matches will be played on April 1st and 2nd. Although both semi-final matches should traditionally take place at the neutral Glasgow "Hampden Park" stadium, it is believed that the Edinburgh clubs may request the match to be moved to the largest stadium in the country located in the capital, "Murrayfield," which is usually used for rugby matches.
Scottish Cup semi-final draw:
Edinburgh "Hibernian" - Edinburgh "Hearts"
"Gretna" - "Dundee"/"Hamilton"
