Birmingham City Vs Brentford
Saturday 12 September 2020 – 12:30 (GMT)
English Championship
Pick: Brentford to WIN
Odds: 19/20
Bookmaker: Unibet
(All betting odds correct at time of writing: 9 September 2020)
Preview: For a second successive season in the EFL Championship, Birmingham City and Brentford meet on the opening day as the former, at home on this occasion, target a repeat of their smash-and-grab 1-0 victory at Griffin Park in August of last year.
EFL Championship Betting at 22Bet
Table of Contents
Birmingham City Preview – Big improvements required after dismal 2019-20?
Last season could not have ended any sooner for Birmingham City, who were in dire straits before the lockdown came into effect but would later descend into absolute free-fall once football was given the green light to return in mid-June. After drawing their first two fixtures after the restart, The Blues would slump to six defeats across their final seven games to conclude 2019-20 two points above the drop in 20th.
The good news for new boss Aitor Karanka is that the Spaniard has had the summer on the training ground in which to implement his fresh ideas on a group not exactly short of flaws. His first port of call should have been a porous defence: only Hull City, who finished bottom, and QPR conceded more than their 75 in 48 games, with 42 coming at St Andrews. No team shipped more goals at home in the second tier.
Birmingham also averaged a miserly 1.09 points-per-game at home last term, which was the second-worst return in the Championship after Hull City. Their last such win coming against Nottingham Forest; a 2-1 scoreline on 1 February. Thereafter, City picked up four of a possible 24 points (D4 L4) at St Andrews. Most alarmingly of all, however, they conceded exactly three goals in six of their final seven home games.
Brentford Preview – Bees inspired by last season’s near-miss?
Supporters could be forgiven for resigning themselves to this division after yet another flirtation with promotion. With West Brom and Fulham both faltering on the final day, Brentford needed only to beat a relegation-threatened Barnsley at Griffin Park to move into second and clinch automatic promotion. They were themselves beaten, to everyone’s dismay, as they subsequently lost the play-off final too to Fulham.
To make matters worse, the vultures have circled during the summer. So while The Bees can be excited about the prospect of igniting another fresh assault on promotion with a swanky new stadium, the Brentford Community Stadium, in tow, the reality for manager Thomas Frank may have to do so without some integral first-team members who helped deliver what was nonetheless an outstanding league campaign.
Brentford were the most prolific outfit in the Championship last time around, notching 80 in 48 games at an average of 1.74 per game, and finished the season strongly, winning eight in a row prior to back-to-back defeats at the bitter end. Losing Ollie Watkins (26G/3A) hurts them, but they’ve moved quickly to recruit League One top scorer Ivan Toney, while the fact Said Benrahma is still around is a huge boost.
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Birmingham City Vs Brentford Betting Preview
In a repeat of their opening day meeting from last season, a game which saw Birmingham City essentially steal all three points after scoring from their only meaningful effort whilst withstanding an attacking onslaught from Brentford, I fully expect the visitors to come out of the traps flying. However, it is worth noting how the reverse fixture at St Andrews would end in stalemate following a 1-1 draw.
Birmingham City Vs Brentford – Key Facts
- No league win in eight home games for Birmingham City, who have shipped precisely three goals in six of the last seven Championship games they’ve hosted at St Andrews.
- Brentford picked up four fewer wins away from home (10 vs 14) last season but would wrap up 2019-20 winning three of their final four away encounters (W3 L1).
- Birmingham collected four points from their two fixtures versus Brentford last season (1-0 away and 1-1 at home) but last won this fixture as the home side in 2016 (D2 L2 since).
Brentford have failed to win in their last four meetings (D3 L1) with Birmingham, however they do boast a tidy record as visitors with two wins and as many draws across four previous trips to St Andrews. Moreover, the Blues are without a home win since February (D4 L4), and have conceded on three occasions in six of the last seven said matches which is a frightening prospect ahead of hosting last season’s most prolific attack. Brentford 3-1.
Best Betting Odds – Birmingham City Vs Brentford
Birmingham City – 10/3 (Bet365)
Draw – 12/5 (Betway)
Brentford -19/20 (Unibet)
