Brentford advanced to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals on Tuesday after edging past Sheffield Wednesday in a penalty shootout following a 1-1 draw.
The Premier League side dominated much of the match and took an early lead through Kevin Schade in a stroke of luck.
Schade’s initial shot was blocked by Pierce Charles, only for the ball to ricochet off Gabriel Otegbayo back into his path, allowing him an easy finish into an open net.
Brentford continued to break through Wednesday’s high defensive line, with 19-year-old Charles making crucial saves to deny Keane Lewis-Potter and Bryan Mbeumo.
A largely rotated Wednesday squad managed just one touch in the Brentford penalty area during the first half.
However, shortly after halftime, Djeidi Gassama equalized for Wednesday with an impressive 25-yard strike, breathing life into the match.
Both teams pushed for a decisive goal, with Ike Ugbo and Liam Palmer testing Brentford’s goalkeeper Mark Flekken, while Charles was called upon to save a powerful Mbeumo shot. D
espite bringing on key players from the bench, neither side could secure a winning goal, leading to a penalty shootout.
The first nine penalties were converted before Flekken’s save on Palmer clinched Brentford’s victory.
Brentford has now reached the quarter-finals for the first time since the 2021-22 season and aims to emulate their semi-final run from 2020-21.
The quarter-final draw will take place after the Tottenham Hotspur-Manchester City clash on Wednesday, with matches scheduled for the week beginning December 16.
‘I need to learn from that’
Flekken was the shootout hero, but he was not happy with the role he played in Wednesday’s equaliser.
The goalkeeper tried to launch a Brentford counter attack after catching a corner, but Gassama intercepted his throw and scored.
“At the moment I caught the corner kick I had so many possibilities but I took the wrong one,” Flekken told Sky Sports.
“The mistake I made helpd a lot to bring our mental side down. It took away the control we had. It went from a controlled game to an open game. I need to learn from that.
“I went to the wrong side twice at the start [of the shootout]. That doesn’t help your confidence in a shootout but luckily I saved the last one.
“It’s not the first and only mistake I’ve made in my career. I’m 31 now with quite some experience, that helps a lot [to come back from] a mistake like that.”
With five Premier League sides guaranteed to be eliminated on Wednesday, Brentford manager Thomas Frank says his side are aiming to win the competition.
“It is one step closer to what we want to do, we want to go all the way,” Frank told Sky Sports.
“Our mentality was great, the players worked hard. It was more [an issue with] quality.”