Birmingham City vs Leeds United FA Cup preview, team news and prediction

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The reigning champions of League One and the Championship go head-to-head at St Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park on Sunday afternoon, as Birmingham City take on Leeds United in the FA Cup. Birmingham enter the tie on the back of a West Midlands derby stalemate earlier in the week, while Leeds are buoyed by a memorable result in West London.

Since a pivotal 3-0 defeat at Watford on New Year’s Day, Birmingham City have put together an impressive eight-match unbeaten run (five wins, three draws) across both the Championship and the FA Cup. This resurgence has reignited their ambitions of securing a place in the Premier League alongside the likes of Leeds next season.

However, the Blues will be frustrated at missing the chance to break into the top six after a goalless draw with West Bromwich Albion on Tuesday night—the first time they’ve failed to score at St Andrew’s since late August. Even so, a seven-game unbeaten streak in the league has propelled Chris Davies’s side up to 10th in the Championship, just a point shy of the playoff places currently occupied by Wrexham.

Birmingham’s home form has been particularly impressive; they remain unbeaten in their last 11 matches at St Andrew’s and have suffered just one defeat in 16 home league fixtures this season. Their run to the fourth round was secured with a 3-2 win at League Two side Cambridge United, where January signing Kai Wagner scored his first goal for the club.

Leeds United, meanwhile, have struggled for consistency at home in the Premier League but demonstrated their resilience on the road by coming from behind to secure a point at Chelsea on Tuesday. Lukas Nmecha and Noah Okafor were on target, taking their league tallies to six and four goals respectively. Since their dramatic 4-3 defeat at Newcastle on January 7, Daniel Farke’s side have lost just once in six outings across all competitions, underlining their ability to compete on multiple fronts.

A haul of four points from their last two league games has lifted Leeds to 15th in the Premier League, six points clear of 18th-placed West Ham United, who are mounting a late-season surge with three wins in their last five matches.

Turning attention to the FA Cup, Leeds’ only away win since September came in the previous round, when they overturned a deficit to beat Derby County and advance. While Leeds have won three of their last four meetings with Birmingham, they will be wary of their last visit to St Andrew’s, where they suffered a narrow defeat to a Lukas Jutkiewicz goal early in the 2023-24 season.

Demarai Gray, a lifelong Birmingham City supporter, could be handed a start in Sunday’s FA Cup tie after making his first appearance of 2026 against West Brom following a calf injury. The hosts will be forced into at least one change in midfield, with Paik Seung-ho sidelined after suffering his second shoulder injury of the season earlier this week.

Birmingham continue to contend with several long-term injuries, as Ethan Laird (hamstring), Alex Cochrane (ankle), and Lee Buchanan (knee) all remain unavailable.

For Leeds United, Dominic Calvert-Lewin is a doubt for the trip to Birmingham after missing the dramatic four-goal draw at Stamford Bridge due to illness. Pascal Struijk, a recent mainstay in the Whites’ back three, is currently out with a hip problem, while Anton Stach—who last played in the 4-0 defeat to Arsenal at Elland Road—is also struggling with a hip injury.

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