MATCH REPORT: Dundee FC 0–1 Heart of Midlothian FC 11 January 2026 | Dens Park Ten-man Hearts produced a resilient display at Dens Park to claim a vital three points, with Claudio Braga’s stunning first-half strike proving decisive on Tayside. The Portuguese forward opened the scoring midway through the first half with a superb long-range effort, but Hearts were forced to dig deep after goalkeeper Alex Schwolow was dismissed in stoppage time before the interval. An inspired second-half performance from substitute Craig Gordon, combined with disciplined defending, ensured the visitors held firm. First Half Hearts made one change from their previous outing, with Jamie McCart coming in at left-back for the injured Harry Milne. New signing Islam Chesnokov was named on the bench, while Stephen Kingsley missed out through a groin issue. Dundee started brightly and almost struck inside the opening two minutes, forcing Schwolow into a sharp diving save to push away Billy Koumetio’s header following Tony Yogane’s cross from the left. The Jambos grew into the contest and went close after 12 minutes when Claudio Braga teed up Lawrence Shankland inside the box, but the captain’s deflected effort drifted wide. The breakthrough arrived after 26 minutes. A quickly taken free-kick found Shankland in space, who slid the ball across to Braga. The winger took aim from distance and rifled a magnificent strike in off the post to ignite the travelling support. Hearts continued to press, with Shankland curling a powerful effort just wide on 35 minutes before Alexandros Kyziridis was denied moments later, his low drive well saved by Dundee goalkeeper Jon McCracken. However, the first half ended on a dramatic note. After a VAR review, Schwolow was shown a red card for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity. Braga was withdrawn to allow Craig Gordon to enter the action, and the veteran stopper immediately made a superb reaction save from the resulting free-kick. Half-time: Dundee 0–1 Heart of Midlothian Second Half Reduced to ten men, Hearts were forced onto the back foot for long spells but still carried a threat. Shankland glanced a header over the bar shortly after the restart from a Kyziridis delivery. Dundee pushed hard for an equaliser, yet Hearts’ defensive organisation remained strong. The final ten minutes brought sustained pressure, with Hamilton heading over before Gordon delivered a moment of brilliance to deny Drey Wright at the near post. In stoppage time, Gordon capped a remarkable cameo by stretching full length to tip Acquah’s header around the post, sealing a crucial victory for the men in maroon.