Which second division team will secure a place in the second round?
On Tuesday, August 12, 2025, Birmingham City FC and Sheffield United FC will face off in the first round of the EFL Cup. This is already a top match for the first round of the cup, as it pits two teams from the second-highest English league (Championship) against each other.
Nevertheless, the two teams were in completely different situations last season, as the home side were still fighting for promotion in League One at that point, while the visitors were just one win away from returning to the Premier League. Ruben Selles’ team lost the final 2-1 to AFC Sunderland at Wembley. Contrary to the facts we have mentioned, the Birmingham vs. Sheffield United odds still point to a home win.
In our Birmingham vs. Sheffield United prediction, we will now look for the reasons why German bookmakers are predicting a win for the promoted team. We will take a look at the squads of both teams and come to a surprising conclusion. The newcomer to the English second division has a higher squad value than the Championship playoff finalist from Sheffield and can definitely keep up in terms of quality.
In addition, the visitors lost five important players in the summer in Ray-Sakyi, Diaz, Brewster, Moore, and Ahmedhodzic, who collectively scored 32 points and left a big hole behind them. However, the club has not announced any notable new signings. The hosts have largely managed to keep their player pool together and even strengthen it in certain areas.
But quality is not the only reason why the Birmingham vs. Sheffield United tip for a home win remains interesting. Chris Davis’ team is also very strong at home, picking up 61 of 69 points at home last season. In addition, the home side remained unbeaten in their opening game against Premier League relegation side Ipswich Town, missing out on all three points only due to a penalty in the 95th minute. The Blades can keep up reasonably well with a good away record of 43 points in 23 games (⌀ 1.87), but they started the season with a 1-4 defeat against Bristol City. Overall, there is a slight tendency towards the hosts here.
Birmingham – Sheffield United Head-to-head record / H2H record
The H2H comparison somewhat shakes up the picture we have painted, as the Blues are currently waiting for a win against the Blades after three games. This is probably one of the reasons why the Birmingham vs. Sheffield United betting odds are relatively even. Overall, however, the home side has the upper hand, winning 47 of the 114 encounters and losing “only” 44 games. However, the head-to-head comparison is not really meaningful. In addition, the last meeting was quite a while ago, so the results from over two years ago are unlikely to have much influence now.
Birmingham – Sheffield Tip
We recommend the Birmingham vs. Sheffield United betting tip on the hosts to advance. The Blues had an outstanding preseason, securing the League One championship and promotion to the Championship. They have a better squad and also passed their first tough test against Ipswich Town. In addition, Chris Davies’ team is very strong at home and last lost a league home game in April 2024. So the momentum is clearly on the side of the home team.
If you’d rather not bet on a winner, we recommend the Birmingham vs. Sheffield United odds for “both teams to score – yes.” The Blues have already shown against Ipswich Town that they are capable of competing offensively in the second-highest English league. On the other hand, the visitors were one of the best teams in the Championship last season for a reason and will not give up the game easily. In addition, both teams have scored in each of their last three encounters.
