Hibs hopes of Conference League group stage football hang by a thread tonight after a narrow home defeat to Legia Warsaw in front of a packed out Easter Road.
Head coach David Gray retained faith with the team that started against Partizan Belgrade last week after making six changes at the weekend.
Jordan Smith returned in goal, Rocky Bushiri was at the heart of the defence, Chris Cadden was on the right and Josh Mulligan joined Dylan Levitt in midfield.
Up top, Kieron Bowie played alongside Martin Boyle.
The only slight surprise was Josh Campbell keeping his place, with Jamie McGrath on the bench.
Thibault Klidje was also named among the substitutes, despite impressing in the win over Livingston.
Once again the atmosphere was electric inside the stadium with a huge home support cheering the team on. Legia brought a small but noisy band of supporters who were housed in a section of the south stand.
Hibs started on the front foot and Mulligan was unlucky not to open the scoring in the first minute after breaking into the box but he was unable to get the ball under control and the danger was cleared.
Campbell then set up Bowie but his effort was well saved by the Legia keeper.
Campbell earned an early yellow card for a late challenge.
Hibs continued to dominate with Boyle’s pace and Bowie strength causing problems for the visitors.
But Legia looked dangerous on the break and Smith did well to save a powerful effort then Bushiri managed to block a second effort.
The Legia players claimed for handball against Rocky but the referee, Mohammad Al-Emara who had a clear view indicated that the ball hit his chest and have a corner.
However the referee was directed to the screens by the VAR and after some deliberation awarded a penalty.
The entire Hibernian bench were adamant a Legia player was in an offside position prior to the penalty award but the decision stood.
Legia striker Nsame dispatched the spot kick high into the left hand corner of the net leaving Smith no chance.
Levitt was shown a yellow card for a foul on Juergen Elitim.
Then just before the break disaster struck when a superb ball from Jean-Pierre Nsame to the back post picked out Wszolek, and he volleyed in from a narrow angle.
The chorus of boos on the half time whistle were mainly directed at the referee.
Hibs should have pulled one back shortly after the restart when Jordan Obita’s inch perfect cross found Bushiri unmarked, but his header were over the bar.
In the 51st minute Gray made a triple substitution. McGrath, Nicky Cadden, and Miguel Chaiwa replaced Campbell, Levitt, and Jack Iredale.
Nicky Cadden made an immediate impact when he whipped in a fine cross from the left. The keeper managed to get a fingertip to it, taking the ball out of the path of Boyle at the back post.
Moments later it looked all over for Hibs when Kapustka fired home a cutback from the right to make it 3-0. However a lengthy VAR check revealed an offside in the build up and the Hibs fans breathed a huge sigh of relief.
That decision wound the fans up and they roared the team forward.
The impressive Chaiwa iwas the next name in the book for a foul on Bartosz Kapustka as Legia looked to counter.
Vahan Bichakhchyan, should have wrapped things up but he fired over the bar from six yards.
A mistake at the back then allowed Jean-Pierre Nsame through on goal but he scuffed his shot well wide.
At the other end substitute Junior Hoilett sent a tremendous cross along the face of the goal but Bushiri was just unable to get on the end of it.
With 10-minutes remaining Klidje replaced Boyle.
Nicky Cadden then set up Klidje but his header flew inches wide.
In the 85th minute Hibs scored what could be a crucial goal to reduce the deficit.
Hoilett’s header was saved brilliantly, but Mulligan followed up by smashing in the rebound to the delight of the home fans.
That was the end of the scoring and Hibs travel to Poland next week knowing that a repeat of their performance in Belgrade could be enough.
Hibs: Smith, O’Hora, Bushiri, Iredale, Cadden, Mulligan, Levitt, Campbell, Obita, Boyle, Bowie.
Substitutes: Sallinger, Hanley, Youan, Manneh, Chaiwa, McGrath, Klidje, Cadden, Hoilett, Megwa, MacIntyre, Molotnikov.
Legia Warsaw: Tobiasz, Kapuadi, Wszołek, Augustyniak, Nsame, Vinagre, Bichakhchyan, Elitim, Ziółkowski, Jędrzejczyk, Kapustka.
Substitutes: Kobylak, Banasik, Burch, Alfarela, Reca, Żewłakow, Kun, Morishita, Rajovic, Stojanović, D Szymański, Urbański.
