Only four non-PL teams remain in the last 16 in the EFL Cup and this could be the end of the road for Sheffield Wednesday.
The Brentford Community Stadium has become one of the toughest stadiums to visit in the Premier League. Thomas Frank's Brentford have produced extraordinary results since the start of the season and remain unbeaten at home after six fixtures.
With five wins in six games, Brentford have scored 18 goals, which equals three per game on average. In fact, only Man City have scored more goals in the Premier League this season, which proves the extreme firepower that the Bees possess.
Sheffield Wednesday are the epitome of inconsistent. With four wins, three draws, and three defeats in the last ten, you can never really be sure what to expect from the team. They sit dead-centre in the Championship, with little hope of making it to the playoffs.
Brentford were one of the “better” opponents they could get in the 1/8 finals but even they look like an insurmountable challenge.
How the bookies view it: Brentford's stadium is a fortress
Given Brentford's recent exploits, bookmakers found few reasons to doubt their chances. Betano gave them just 8/19 to win on Tuesday, while Sheffield Wednesday sit at 47/8. Alternatively, you can pick the draw at 35/9.
Recent head to head: Ancient Championship rivals
The most recent H2H dates back to when Brentford were still part of the Championship. The teams last met in 2021, and Brentford won 3-0 at home. Overall, the Bees have dominated this rivalry, winning six of the last ten meetings, including the last four games at home with a combined goal difference of 12:0.
Players to watch: Back-to-back Carvalho
Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa have created an exciting partnership and scored three of Brentford's four goals against Ipswich on Saturday. For this reason, we expect them to be given a day off on Tuesday.
Instead, we expect to see Yegor Yarmolyuk and Fabio Carvalho in front, and either of them will be a good option for betting. The latter scored the opening goal against Leyton Orient in the previous round, so he will be motivated to find the net again.
Probable line-ups
Brentford: Valdimarsson, Roerslev, Mee, Meghoma, Van den Berg, Konak, Jensen, Trevitt, Schade, Yarmolyuk, Carvalho
Sheffield Wednesday: Charles, Bernard, Iorfa, Valery, Palmer, Bannan, Lowe, Charles, Musaba, Windass, Smith
Anything else catch the eye?
Even with heavy rotations, Thomas Frank's men will find ways to score and Sheffield Wednesday are not the team to stop them. The only team that escaped defeat at Brentford was West Ham and the Owls are nowhere near their level.
Given that Brentford's last couple of home matches featured 15 goals, we see this as the most obvious Over in the entire Round of 16. Of course, fans shouldn't expect the same extremes when the Bees come out with a squad full of fringe players. But having a Championship team on the other end still suggests at least 2-3 goals from the home side.
This EFL Cup match between Brentford and Sheffield Wednesday will be played on Oct 29, 2024 and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best Brentford vs Sheffield Wednesday prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
