Real Sociedad seeks first step towards Europa Cup Round of 16 in Scotland
The txuri-urdin will face Heart of Midlothian on Wednesday, September 23rd at 20:00h in the second qualifying round of the UEFA Women's Europa League. The San Sebastián side will be seeking their first win of the season after falling 2-6 on aggregate to Chelsea in the Champions League qualifiers.
22 SEP 2026
“Chelsea’s matches were very important for us because we realised that small details are key. We have to learn to win and to lose, and we mustn't go crazy. I trust the team,” stated Nahia Aparicio in the build-up to the match against Heart of Midlothian. The San Sebastián side will become the first Spanish team to compete in the UEFA Women's Europa Cup, after falling in the Champions League qualifying round against Chelsea, losing 5-2 in the first leg and 0-1 in the return fixture. The txuri-urdin outfit currently occupies 14th position in Liga F Moeve with 2 points, following defeats against Logroño United (0-2) and Granada CF (3-2), after drawing against Costa Adeje Tenerife (1-1) and FC Badalona Women (0-0) in the last two matchdays.
Goalkeeper Alazne Estensoro, who is currently competing in the U20 World Cup with Spain, and the injured players María Molina, Aiara Agirrezabala, and Sonya Keefe will be absent for the clash.Opposing them will be Heart of Midlothian, who arrive as last season's Scottish league champions. Andy Thomson has taken over the reins on the bench from Spanish coach Eva Olid. The visitors qualified for the UEFA Women's Europa Cup after failing to reach the Champions League, by defeating Gintra 1-2 in the first round, and losing 2-1 to Koge in the second round. In the Scottish Women's Premier League, Hearts currently sit in 3rd position with 12 points, having secured four wins and one defeat. The return leg will be on Wednesday, September 30th at 19:00h in Zubieta, where Real Sociedad will be aiming to reach the round of 16.
Kick-off Time and How to Watch
The match between Real Sociedad and Hearts, in the second qualifying round of the UEFA Women's Europa Cup, will be played on Wednesday, September 23rd at 20:00 hours at Ainslie Park Stadium and will not be televised.