Half-time: Birmingham City 0 Brentford 0

Brentford had the better of a first half with few clear-cut chances at St. Andrew’s.

Dean Smith’s side had most of the ball but struggled to break through a disciplined Birmingham and neither goalkeeper was tested.

An Alan Judge free-kick – notable for Brentford setting up a wall of their own in front of Birmingham’s – went wide while a Ryan Woods centre flashed across the goal with Sergi Canos lurking but unable to get on the end of it.

Birmingham’s best chance came a few minutes before the break when former Bees loanee Jon Toral nodded narrowly wide from a Paul Caddis cross.

The Spaniard, who made 37 appearances for Brentford last season, was then perhaps lucky to only receive a yellow in first-half injury-time after a heavy foul on Jake Bidwell.

Smith made just one change from the side which won at Reading on Monday, with Canos returning to the starting line-up.

Josh McEachran was the man to miss out while Jota was not included in the squad.

Demarai Gray was absent from the Birmingham side as he is in talks over a move to Premier League Leicester City.

Birmingham City: Kuszczak; Caddis, Morrison, Robinson, Grounds; Gleeson, Kieftenbeld; Solomon-Otabor, Toral, Maghoma; Donaldson.
Subs: Legzdins, Spector, Lowry, Shinnie, Davis, Vaughan, Brock-Madsen.

Brentford: Button; Colin, Dean, Tarkowski, Bidwell; Diagouraga, Woods; Canos, Judge, Swift; Vibe.
Subs: Bonham, Yennaris, O’Connell, McEachran, Saunders, Gogia, Hofmann.