Get the latest Birmingham vs Brentford prediction, lineups, team news, and betting tips ahead of this EFL Cup clash. Read our full match preview and odds.
Birmingham vs Brentford Match Summary
Competition | EFL Cup |
|---|---|
Match Date | Tuesday 25 August 2026 |
Match Time | 20:00 UK time |
Venue (City, Stadium) | Birmingham, St Andrew's Knighthead Park |
Broadcast (TV / Streaming / Radio / Bookmaker Streaming) | Sky Sports Arena |
Championship Birmingham host Premier League Brentford at St Andrew's Knighthead Park in the EFL Cup second round, and the visitors arrive with real momentum behind them.
The Blues reached this stage with a 1-0 win over Swansea City in the first round, and they have made a steady, unbeaten start to their Championship campaign with back-to-back draws.
Brentford come into the tie on the back of a thumping 3-0 home win over Tottenham Hotspur in their Premier League opener, so the London side clearly carry the greater firepower.
The head-to-head reads well for the hosts, though, with Birmingham undefeated in their last six meetings with Brentford in all competitions, so this cup tie is far from a formality.
Birmingham vs Brentford Form
Birmingham are unbeaten to start the season, opening their Championship campaign with consecutive draws, including a 2-2 stalemate against Bristol City that Demarai Gray rescued with a 95th-minute penalty. August Priske got the winner in their 1-0 EFL Cup first-round success over Swansea City, so Chris Davies has plenty of options across a front four he is expected to shuffle.
Brentford could hardly have made a louder statement, hammering Tottenham Hotspur 3-0 at home in their Premier League opener with goals from Keane Lewis-Potter, Vitaly Janelt and Michael Kayode. They racked up 26 shots that afternoon and will fancy their chances of a second win on the spin, with Callum Wilson, Yehor Yarmoliuk and Aaron Hickey among those tipped to feature here.
Birmingham vs Brentford Lineups & Team News
Injuries & Suspensions
Birmingham: L. Buchanan (Injured/out), M. Leonard (Injured/out), M. Bird (Injured/out)
Brentford: S. van den Berg (Injured/out)
Birmingham
Summer signing Max Bird is out for a couple of weeks with an injury, joining Leigh Buchanan and Marc Leonard on the sidelines. Chris Davies is likely to change the full front four for the visit of Brentford, while Dael Fry could step into the Blues' back four.
Brentford
Centre-back Sepp van den Berg is out for the trip to St. Andrew's, but that is the only concern, with Brentford reporting no other injuries heading into this second-round contest. Callum Wilson, Yehor Yarmoliuk and Aaron Hickey are among those likely to start.
Birmingham vs Brentford Predicted Lineup
Birmingham
Formation: 4-2-3-1
Predicted Starting Lineup: Beadle; Laird, Klarer, Fry, Cochrane; Solís, Iwata; Roberts, Fujimoto, Gray; Vázquez
Brentford
Formation: 4-2-3-1
Predicted Starting Lineup: Kelleher; Hickey, Pinnock, Ajer, Henry; Janelt, Yarmoliuk; Damsgaard, Jensen, Anthony; Wilson
Birmingham vs Brentford Key Stats & Match Facts
Birmingham are undefeated in their last six meetings with Brentford in all competitions.
Under 2.5 goals has landed in each of Birmingham's last six matches against Brentford in all competitions.
Demarai Gray dug the Blues out with a 95th-minute penalty in their 2-2 draw against Bristol City on 22 August 2026.
Brentford opened their Premier League season with a 3-0 home win over Tottenham Hotspur on 22 August 2026.
Kick-off at St Andrew's Knighthead Park is 20:00 UK time, with live coverage on Sky Sports.
Birmingham vs Brentford Prediction & Best Bets
Our prediction: The gap in class is hard to ignore. Brentford's demolition of Spurs showed the firepower they carry, and even with changes expected we make them the side to go through. Birmingham will make life awkward at St Andrew's, but we lean towards a 1-2 away win.
Best Bets
Back Both Teams To Score (Yes) in this cup fixture at St. Andrew's. Both managers are expected to rotate and freshen up their starting elevens, and that shuffling tends to open games up. With attacking talent on both sides likely to get chances, goals at either end look a fair call.
Back Brentford To Qualify for the next round of the EFL Cup. Premier League quality and the deeper squad tip this firmly in the visitors' favour. Even a rotated Brentford should have more than enough to see off Championship opposition and progress into the next round.
Birmingham vs Brentford Bet Builder
Our three-leg bet builder backs Brentford to win, Callum Wilson to score anytime, both teams to score and a goals-based angle, leaning on the visitors' quality while respecting an open cup tie.
Brentford to win is the anchor. Fresh off a 3-0 dismantling of Tottenham with 26 shots, the Premier League side simply carry more firepower than their Championship hosts.
Callum Wilson as anytime scorer makes sense as a primary attacking threat for Brentford, the kind of centre-forward you want on the end of the chances a rotated side will create.
Both teams to score has appeal with changes expected across both front lines. Open, messy cup ties invite goals at either end, and Birmingham carry a threat of their own.
At the time of writing, this bet builder pays a best price of 17/4 and is as short as 7/2 elsewhere. That's a difference in potential winnings of £10 from best to worst price.
Make sure to get the best odds on your Bet Builder with Oddschecker's Exclusive Bet Builder Comparison Tool.
Bet builder odds correct at time of publishing.
This is exactly the kind of test Chris Davies wanted, with the Birmingham boss framing the visit of Premier League opposition to St Andrew's as a strong measure of where his side stand. The Blues can point to a strong recent record in this fixture and a squad that keeps finding a way, with August Priske off the mark for the season and Demarai Gray showing his nerve from the spot. Brentford, though, arrive in a different gear after that 3-0 win over Tottenham built on goals from Keane Lewis-Potter, Vitaly Janelt and Michael Kayode. Even with rotation likely, the away side's ceiling looks the higher of the two, and it should take a big night from the hosts to shade it.
Birmingham vs Brentford Talking Points
Birmingham vs Brentford Predictions FAQs
What is the prediction for Birmingham vs Brentford?
Check our full match preview for predictions and expert analysis ahead of the Birmingham vs Brentford EFL Cup tie.
Where is Birmingham vs Brentford being played?
The match will take place at St Andrew's Knighthead Park.
What are the best bets for Birmingham vs Brentford?
See our match preview for the top betting tips and bet builder selections for Birmingham vs Brentford.
Where can I find the team lineups for Birmingham vs Brentford?
Probable lineups and injury updates for Birmingham vs Brentford are available in our preview above.
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