- Team form: Birmingham City are on a 5-game winning streak in all competitions, beating Crewe Alexandra, Swansea City and Barcelona across their last 3 games.
- Opposition form: Sheffield United are on a 5-game unbeaten run in all competitions (W3, D2), but they have lost 2 of their last 3 at Bramall Lane (W1).
- Head-to-head: The last match between these two sides was the 1-1 draw in Birmingham in the 2025/26 Championship, making this one a tough call.
Tight, tense and likely to be close
Birmingham City have been on a dream run in the Championship 2026-2027 campaign, winning 8 and drawing 2 of their 10 games across all competitions, going unbeaten all the while and gaining serious momentum. Chris Davies has been their manager since 1 July 2024, and he has built a disciplined, tough unit, who can press in waves and control games in phases, whilst maintaining a compact shape when they don't have the ball.
Sheffield United have had a similarly decent run in 2026-2027 so far, winning 6, drawing 2 and losing 2 of their 10 matches across all competitions. Chris Wilder has been in charge of the club since 15 September 2025 and his side are very much in the mould that he enjoys, on the front foot, vertical and transition-heavy.
Birmingham can nick it at Bramall Lane
Head-to-head:
The last head-to-head between these sides was in the 2025/26 Championship season and ended 1-1 in Birmingham, making this a tough match to predict. Birmingham have won 1 of the last 4 meetings between these clubs, Sheffield United have won 2 and 1 has ended in a draw.
Birmingham have not won their last away game against Sheffield United, however, so the Blades will at least be aware that they can be caught out.
Markets:
At first glance, the odds for this match make little sense, with Sheffield United the slight favorites at 2.48, Birmingham close behind at 2.75 and the draw at 3.3. The goals markets seem a touch cagey to me, Under 2.5 at 1.8 and Both Teams to Score Yes at 1.75, which would suggest this could be tight but not dead.
Birmingham are the value bet
This feels like a close one on paper, but Birmingham's unbeaten run is something that cannot be ignored.
As such, I think Birmingham City can get something here at a great price against a Sheffield United side that can be caught in transition.
- They are coming off the back of a 2-0 away win over Rotherham United and a 0-0 draw at VfL Bochum.
- Sheffield United's 3-5-2 or 3-4-1-2 formations have a very similar profile, all about wide overloads, quick forward breaks and an aggressive press, so they'll try to pin Birmingham back.
- Birmingham usually start from a 4-4-2 but can morph into a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3, which should help them stay compact and hit on the turnover.
- They have been in such good form away from home across all competitions, unbeaten in 6 (W4, D2), conceding just 3 goals in that spell.
