Norwich City face Birmingham City in the EFL Cup 2022-23 at Carrow Road on August 10. The match will start at 12:15 AM IST (Indian Standard Time).
Norwich City suffered relegation from the Premier League last season as they finished at the bottom of the points table with the least goals scored and the most goals conceded. However, in their previous EFL Championship stint, which was in the 2020/21 season, the Canaries had one of the most consistent forward lines. They had a good pre-season, winning four games in a row, but lost their opening league game against Cardiff City.
Birmingham City were also in a relegation battle last season in the EFL Championship. They finished 10 points above the relegation zone at the end. Scott Hogan made 11 goal contributions while Troy Deeney made seven for Birmingham City in the 2021/22 season. Meanwhile, they began this season with four points in their first two games, including a win against Huddersfield Town.
Norwich City vs Birmingham City EFL Cup 2022-23 odds
Parimatch odds: Norwich City: 1.70, Birmingham City: 4.80, Draw: 3.95
Betwinner odds: Norwich City: 1.56, Birmingham City: 5.10, Draw: 4.04
Betway odds: Norwich City: 1.70, Birmingham City: 5.00, Draw: 3.80
10CRIC odds: Norwich City: 1.71, Birmingham City: 4.77, Draw: 3.91
Note: Odds are subject to change. Please visit betting sites to check and confirm the latest odds.
Norwich City vs Birmingham City head-to-head
Norwich City have been the dominant team in this head-to-head since 2004, winning seven matches along with six draws. Birmingham City have only won this fixture once in that period, a 3-0 victory in the EFL Championship in 2016. The visitors have also failed to keep a clean sheet against Norwich City on the last seven occasions.
It is the first time that these two teams go up against each other in the EFL Cup.
Norwich City vs Birmingham City probable starting lineups
Norwich City: Angus Gunn (goalkeeper); Gabriel Sara, Andrew Omobamidele, Ben Gibson (captain), Sam McCallum; Danel Siani, Jacob Lungi Sorensen, Kenny McLean; Onel Hernandez, Teemu Pukki, Todd Cantwell.
Birmingham City: John Ruddy (goalkeeper); Dion Sanderson, Marc Roberts, Auston Trusty; Ryan Woods; Maxime Colin, Juninho Bacuna, Jordan James, George Friend; Troy Deeney (captain), Lukas Jutkiewicz.
Norwich City vs Birmingham City EFL Cup 2022-23 top picks and players to watch
Norwich City: Teemu Pukki will be the top pick in this knockout encounter. The Finnish striker scored 11 goals and made three assists in the Premier League last season, replicating his tally from the 2019/20 Premier League season. Pukki has also made four goal contributions for his national team in the UEFA Nations League 2022-24 campaign.
Birmingham City: Juninho Bacuna is one of the players to watch out for in this match. The midfielder scored two goals and made three assists in the EFL Championship last season. He assisted the opening goal in Birmingham City’s opening league match of the season.
Norwich City vs Birmingham City EFL Cup 2022-23 prediction
Norwich City are the clear favourites to win this match. Their forward line was in good form in the Premier League last season and continued the same in the pre-season friendlies. The Canaries also have the superiority in this head-to-head.
Birmingham City were one of the teams that battled for relegation in the EFL Championship last season which was followed by a poor pre-season campaign. They will find it difficult to contain Norwich City’s potent forward line.