'Pressure on both sides enormous' in Edinburgh derby

"It's the biggest Edinburgh derby league game in my lifetime."

>That's how 34-year-old Andy Halliday described Sunday's meeting between Hibernian and Hearts at Easter Road.

>With five games to go, the visitors lead the Scottish Premiership by one point.

>Away form has been a problem for Hearts of late, so can their rivals put a spanner in the works?

>"The pressure on both sides is enormous," said Motherwell midfielder Halliday, who spent three-and-a-half years at Tynecastle.

>Talking on the BBC Scottish Football Podcast, he added: "Hearts are five games from winning the title. The Hibs players are trying to stop Hearts winning the league."

>Scott Allan, a former Hibs hero, echoed those thoughts, saying: "There's no getting away from how important this game is for both sets of fans.

>"For Hibs, it's a chance to derail Hearts' title challenge, which is probably Hibs' fans biggest fear.

>"They're on the same number of titles in their history (four) and if Hearts can do it, you can't see Hibs ever pulling that back."

>Hibs, who are three points behind Motherwell in the race to finish fourth, are unbeaten in their past three home derbies, winning a 3-2 thriller in December.

>Hearts have scored late goals in all three meetings with their city rivals this season, earning two tense 1-0 wins at Tynecastle.

>"Hibs are putting pressure on Motherwell, who have a difficult game against Rangers, so a win could be a big boost," explained Allan, who had three spells at Easter Road, scoring in a 2018 derby victory.

>"Hibs have been competitive all season, but there's been far too many draws (12).

>"I think there is just so much jeopardy for Hearts."

>Halliday lost in only one of the derbies he played in and thinks his old team may have an edge in the middle of the park and up front.

>"Hearts have a lot of combative midfielders who play with real energy," he said. "Josh Mulligan will be a huge miss for Hibs."

>"It's so difficult to call, but I look at Lawrence Shankland and Claudio Braga and it's hard to go against Hearts in any game."