Brentford make the short trip to St. Andrew’s on Tuesday for a Carabao Cup second-round tie that arrives just three days after their emphatic 3-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur on the Premier League’s opening weekend.
It is Keith Andrews’ first cup fixture of the season, and the turnaround is tight: Brentford also travel to Leeds United in the league next Sunday, meaning changes at St. Andrew’s are all but certain. Birmingham, by contrast, arrive unbeaten in three matches under Chris Davies, though a Championship win still eludes them after draws with Sheffield United and Bristol City.
The fixture is the sides’ first meeting since April 2021, when a goalless draw at Brentford’s own ground extended what was then a six-match winless run for the Bees against Birmingham. Brentford have not tasted victory over these opponents since a 5-0 win at Griffin Park in February 2018.
For Andrews, the more pressing context is squad management: with three matches in nine days, he has already confirmed changes to the side that beat Tottenham, while stressing his rotated group carries genuine Premier League quality.
Birmingham City vs Brentford – Match preview and team news
- Date: Tuesday, 25 August 2026
- Kick-off: 20:00 BST
- Venue: St. Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park
- Referee: Tim Robinson
- Last meeting: Brentford 0-0 Birmingham City, Championship, 6 April 2021
Team news
Brentford
Andrews reported only minor knocks and bruises from the win over Tottenham, with nothing of significant concern. Sepp van den Berg (groin) and Antoni Milambo (recovering from a cruciate ligament injury) remain the two confirmed longer-term absentees, with Fábio Carvalho also still working back from a serious knee injury sustained last November. Callum Wilson, who made his competitive debut off the bench against Spurs, is confirmed to feature, with Andrews declining to say how many changes he will make to his XI.
Birmingham City
Marc Leonard remains sidelined by the hamstring injury that has kept him out since May, and Max Bird is a fresh absentee, the midfielder set to miss several weeks after picking up an ankle problem in training before the Bristol City draw. Davies reported no fresh concerns from that game itself. With a busy schedule including a trip to Wrexham on Friday, rotation is expected, with Demarai Gray pushing for a first start after coming off the bench to score a stoppage-time penalty at the weekend.
Form
Brentford
Andrews’ side opened the season in style, racing into a two-goal lead over Tottenham inside 33 minutes before a second-half goal from Michael Kayode completed the win. Pre-season had been similarly productive, including a 7-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt. Brentford’s directness stood out at Gtech, winning 12 of 18 aerial duels and completing 64 per cent of their long passes before half-time against Spurs.
Birmingham City
Davies’ side remain unbeaten this season but have yet to convert good performances into league wins, drawing at Sheffield United before needing a 95th-minute Gray penalty to salvage a point against Bristol City. Birmingham did progress in the cup with a 1-0 first-round win at Swansea. Defensively, they have been miserly, conceding fewer shots per game in the Championship this season than any other side.
Predicted lineups
Birmingham City predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Beadle; Fry, Neumann, Klarer, Lund; Iwata, Solís; Roberts, Fujimoto, Gray; Vázquez
Brentford predicted XI (4-3-3): Valdimarsson; Hickey, Ajer, Collins, Henry; Janelt, Damsgaard, Schuster; Anthony, Wilson, Schade
How to watch Birmingham City vs Brentford?
The match will be broadcast live in the United Kingdom on Sky Sports+.
Read more – Man United weigh up late move for Crystal Palace winger
See also – Barcelona boss insists he has not told Man United target Balde to leave