Brentford secured their place in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals by defeating Sheffield Wednesday 5-4 in a thrilling penalty shootout. Mark Flekken's crucial save from Liam Palmer sealed the victory for the Premier League side, thwarting the Championship team's spirited comeback attempt. Wednesday, currently 13th in the Championship, had battled valiantly despite fielding a heavily rotated squad. Brentford, however, took an early lead through Kevin Schade and appeared poised for a straightforward victory during the first half.
The visitors' hopes were reignited by Brentford's inability to capitalize on their early advantage. The Premier League side lost their momentum after halftime and were stunned by a superb equalizer from Djeidi Gassama. Brentford struggled to regain their composure, despite having the best chance to win the game in regular time, which Schade squandered. There was significant disappointment in Danny Röhl's decision to make nine changes to the lineup ahead of Wednesday's league match against Watford on Saturday. This decision heavily favored Brentford, who quickly capitalized on their numerical advantage.
Brentford dominated the first half, with Keane Lewis-Potter's through ball setting up Schade for the opening goal. The hosts continued to control the game, with Mathias Jensen's midfield prowess proving difficult for Wednesday to counter. Lewis-Potter and Bryan Mbeumo posed constant threats, but Brentford's second goal remained elusive. The second half saw a drop in Brentford's intensity, leading to complacency and ultimately Gassama's stunning equalizer. The introduction of Yoane Wissa and Mikkel Damsgaard failed to reignite Brentford, and penalties became inevitable.
Despite mounting late pressure, Brentford could not find a winner, and the match went to penalties. Wednesday's resilience in the air and at set pieces proved crucial, but Flekken's save from Palmer ensured Brentford's progression to the next round.
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