"And if we have more progression, we can make every opponent's lives a little bit difficult or very difficult," Marink Reedijk told dailymail.com after Hibernian reached the Scottish League Cup final. His optimism comes off the back of a 2-1 semi-final win over Hearts, the result that brought his first victory as Hibs boss and a first Hampden win over that opponent. It does not make Hibs favourites against Rangers, but it does give Reedijk's belief a bit more weight.
The Hampden result behind Reedijk's confidence
The result itself gave him plenty to point at. C. Braga scored in the fourth minute, but Martin Boyle equalised in the 19th minute and Jamie McGrath put Hibernian ahead three minutes before the interval.
Reedijk, quoted by dailymail.com, said: "The performance of today and the performance we showed the week before." He was making the case that this was part of a broader step forward, not just a day fuelled by derby emotion.
That is a reasonable line from him. Hibs had taken 7 points from their last 5 matches before the semi-final, and the return across those five was still mixed at 1 win, 1 draw and 3 losses. Reedijk is not claiming a finished side. He is arguing that the level of the performance is improving, and the Hearts game gave him proper evidence for that.
He also put real emphasis on how his team played, saying: "In the first half, I really enjoyed how we played football, how we dominated the game on the ball, how we made sure that we created chances and gave Hearts a big problem in defence,". For a manager who had only one draw in his first four league games before the semi-final, a comeback win in that setting was a better platform than any polite talk about patience.
The Rangers challenge in the final
Reedijk's confidence still has to sit alongside the scale of the task. Rangers are second in the Premiership with 24 points from 11 matches, and they have won 7 of those 11 league games. Hibs are heading into the final as underdogs, and there is no point pretending otherwise.
What Reedijk is really selling is the idea that Hibernian can make the final awkward rather than simply survive it. Boyle's output helps that argument. He has 3 league goals in 8 appearances this season, giving Hibs at least one attacker with proven league threat, and McGrath's winner against Hearts gave the squad another reason to believe they can swing a big game.
Reedijk told dailymail.com: "And I think if we build on what we are doing now, keep on going - it will have ups and downs - I know I have a really good belief that we also can do something in the final." That feels like the right note. Belief is one part of this, but the stronger point is that Hibs finally have a performance at Hampden to carry into the next one.
What this win changed for Hibs
Beating Hearts at Hampden for the first time matters more than the usual semi-final buzz. Hearts had won the previous four meetings between the clubs there, in 2006, 2012, 2020 and 2022, so Hibernian had a bit of history to get past as well as a place in the final to win.
Reedijk, again quoted by dailymail.com, said: "This is where we made a big step today. And also I'm so happy for the staff, the players, because they worked so hard for this. And that's really important." He also admitted the moment got to him, saying: "I'm not always showing my emotions, but it's really touching,"
The job now is turning that breakthrough into a proper final performance against Rangers at the national stadium on December 13.
FAQ
Can Hibernian really trouble Rangers in the Scottish League Cup final?
Marink Reedijk believes they can, and his argument rests on Hibernian's recent progress rather than pure emotion. The 2-1 semi-final win over Hearts gave him his first victory as Hibs boss, and he said the display against Hearts and the previous week showed clear improvement. Rangers still go in as favourites with 24 points from 11 league matches and seven wins.
Why was Hibernian's win over Hearts such a big moment for Marink Reedijk?
It was Reedijk's first win as Hibernian boss and it also gave the club their first Hampden win over Hearts. Hibs came back after Claudio Braga scored in the fourth minute, with Martin Boyle equalising in the 19th minute and Jamie McGrath putting them ahead three minutes before half-time.
When is the Rangers vs Hibernian Scottish League Cup final?
Hibernian will meet Rangers in the Scottish League Cup final at the national stadium on December 13. Hibs reached it by beating Hearts 2-1 in the semi-final, a result Reedijk described as a big step for his players and staff.
Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →
