Birmingham City could continue their upward momentum as their EFL Cup campaign begins when they welcome Sheffield United to St. Andrews’ on Wednesday night.
EFL Cup
Our Three Predictions For Birmingham City vs Sheffield United
- Prediction 1 – Lyndon Dykes To Score – 12/5
- Prediction 2 – Over 2.5 Goals Scored – 1/1
- Prediction 3 – Birmingham City To Win – 23/20
First Prediction For Birmingham City vs Sheffield United – Lyndon Dykes To Score – 12/5
EFL Cup games often mean that teams will rotate and give chances to other players to start their first matches of the season. This may certainly be the case for Birmingham City after their tense draw with Ipswich Town, with both starting strikers in Kyogo Furuhashi and Jay Stansfield playing at least three quarters of the match. New signing Marvin Ducksch remains injured, which may give Lyndon Dykes a starting place in the squad. Considering the lack of depth in Sheffield United’s midfield and the potency of Birmingham’s attack, the former Queens Park Rangers man has a great chance of scoring on his EFL Cup debut for the Blues.
Second Prediction For Birmingham City vs Sheffield United – Over 2.5 Goals Scored – 1/1
Birmingham City looked dangerous as they opened the Championship season against Ipswich on Friday. Up against a Premier League defence, Chris Davies’ side took 11 shots, three of which were on target and could have added to Jay Stansfield’s first if the former Exeter City striker in particular was more clinical on the night. Meanwhile, Sheffield United had a torrid time up against Bristol City on Saturday, conceding four. However, their attack went unnoticed having taken 20 shots against the Robins’ defence. These two sides have proven goalscorers in their ranks and with the chance of a cup run firmly on the cards for both sides, it could combine into a high-scoring night under the lights.
Third Prediction For Birmingham City vs Sheffield United – Birmingham City To Win – 23/20
The big question mark is how Sheffield United will respond to what was a dismal performance defensively against Bristol City, a team they handily beat in the playoffs just months ago. With Anel Ahmedhodzic being sold and no replacement signed in time, full-back Rhys Norrington-Davies was left exposed with multiple errors costing his side dearly. Jack Robinson’s absence and a substitution of Femi Seriki left Tyler Bindon as their only centre-back by the final whistle, and there are no signs that it cannot be repeated when facing Birmingham. Stansfield and Kyogo made promising Championship debuts this weekend and with Lyndon Dykes in support, the Blues could continue making their case for promotion against on paper a title favourite in a Cup match.
Best Odds For Birmingham City vs Sheffield United
| Bookmaker | Birmingham City | Draw | Sheffield United |
| Betarno | 23/20 | 9/4 | 9/4 |
| Gentleman Jim | 23/20 | 9/4 | 21/10 |
| Myriadplay | 23/20 | 11/5 | 11/5 |
Full Preview Of The Game: Last Results And Head-To-Head
Birmingham City have had a promising start to their Championship return, earning a point against Ipswich Town. Perhaps they could have claimed all three points at home against Kieran McKenna’s side, with a late and perhaps dubious penalty giving George Hirst a 95th-minute equaliser. Nevertheless, it was an indicator of where the Blues have got to under their new ownership and management of Chris Davies. They are still continuing their pursuit of transfer targets, having secured Werder Bremen forward Marvin Ducksch this week. Their EFL Cup run ended at the second hurdle last season, beating Charlton Athletic before losing 2-0 to Fulham thanks to goals from Raul Jiminez and Jay Stansfield, days before he joined Birmingham permanently.
Sheffield United had a very difficult start to their season. With a lack of centre-back depth, the Blades’ makeshift defence was put to the sword by Bristol City in Ruben Selles’ competitive debut as manager. Their pre-season has been defined by a lack of transfer business, with Anel Ahmedhodzic and Vini Souza sold and very little being splashed out on new signings. The former Reading boss did not reveal whether any new signings would be made between Saturday and their trip to St. Andrew’s, and shouldered the blame at tactical decisions rather than a lack of transfers. Their EFL Cup campaign last season also ended at the second round, losing to South Yorkshire rivals Barnsley at Oakwell.
With a difference in divisions over the past few seasons, it has been over two years since the last match between Sheffield United and Birmingham City. The Blades are unbeaten in their last three matches, having beaten John Eustace’s Blues through James McAtee and Oli McBurnie in their most recent game. Since 2012, Birmingham have won three games, United have won twice and there have been four draws.
Confrontation
13/08/2025
League Cup League Cup
Birmingham
Sheff Utd
2
1
08/05/2023
Championship Championship
Birmingham City
Sheffield United
1
2
01/10/2022
Championship Championship
Sheffield United
Birmingham City
1
1
Last Results - Birmingham 
04/11/2025
Championship Championship
Birmingham
Millwall
4
0
W
01/11/2025
Championship Championship
Birmingham
Portsmouth
4
0
W
25/10/2025
Championship Championship
Bristol City
Birmingham
1
0
L
21/10/2025
Championship Championship
Preston
Birmingham
0
1
W
18/10/2025
Championship Championship
Birmingham
Hull
2
3
L
Last Results - Sheffield Utd
04/11/2025
Championship Championship
Coventry
Sheffield Utd
3
1
L
01/11/2025
Championship Championship
Sheffield Utd
Derby
1
3
L
24/10/2025
Championship Championship
Preston
Sheffield Utd
3
2
L
21/10/2025
Championship Championship
Blackburn
Sheffield Utd
1
3
W
18/10/2025
Championship Championship
Sheffield Utd
Watford
1
0
W
Where To Watch Birmingham City vs Sheffield United
Where can I watch the game, either on TV or in person?
- Location: St. Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park, Birmingham, West Midlands, B9 4RL
- Date: August 13th, 2025
This game is available to watch in the UK on Sky Sports+, Sky Sports Main Event and ITV4, with kick-off at 8 pm.
Probable Lineups For Birmingham City vs Sheffield United
What sort of lineup can we expect from this important EFL Cup clash?
Predicted Birmingham City Lineup
- Lineup: Beadle; Gardner-Hickman, Cashin, Bielik, Buchanan; Paik, Doyle; Gray, Willumsson, Anderson; Dykes
- Injured/Suspended: Fujimoto, Ducksch, Wright
- Manager: Chris Davies
Predicted Sheffield United Lineup
- Lineup: Davies, Polendakov, Bindon, Norrington-Davies, McCallum; Peck; Brooks, Soumare, O’ Hare, Nwachukwu; Cannon
- Injured/Suspended: Arblaster, Shackleton, Davies
- Manager: Ruben Selles
