7M - Preview: Macclesfield Town vs Brentford - Predictions, Team News, and Expected Lineups

Macclesfield Town aims to extend their magical FA Cup journey as they prepare to face Premier League side Brentford on Monday at the Leasing.com Stadium.

The hosts stunned the football world by pulling off a historic upset against Crystal Palace, winning 2-1 in the third round on January 10, despite competing in the sixth tier of English football. Meanwhile, Brentford confidently defeated Sheffield Wednesday 2-0 on the same day.

Match Preview

Macclesfield's victory over Crystal Palace deserves high praise, demonstrating their capability as deserving winners even with a staggering 117 places separating the teams in the football league hierarchy. They became the first sixth-tier team to eliminate a Premier League club since the division's creation.

Head coach John Rooney was honored as the National League North manager of the month for January and has led his side to seven wins in their last nine games across all competitions. Currently positioned sixth in the sixth tier with 48 points, Macclesfield is among the playoff contenders, holding at least one game in hand over the other top 15 teams.

The Silkmen head into this FA Cup encounter with six consecutive home victories, having lost only once in their past 15 matches at the Leasing.com Stadium.

Brentford, on the other hand, is enjoying their best FA Cup run in recent years, having advanced further this season than in any of the previous three. However, they've only reached the fifth round once in their last 19 attempts.

Heading into Monday's matchup, Keith Andrews's team is coming off a frustrating 1-1 draw against Arsenal, despite dominating the game in the Premier League. The Bees currently sit seventh in the league with 40 points, just two points shy of sixth-placed Liverpool and four behind fifth-placed Chelsea.

Brentford has won seven of their last 11 matches in all competitions, suffering only two defeats during that stretch while netting 20 goals and conceding 10. Their away form is impressive, with five wins in their last six matches on the road.

Possible Starting Lineups:

Macclesfield Town:
Dearnley; Fensome, Menayese, Heathcote, Lacey; Edmondson, Dawson, Kay, Duffy; Buckley-Ricketts, Bughail-Mellor

Brentford:
Kelleher; Kayode, Pinnock, Collins, Hickey; Yarmolyuk, Henderson; Ouattara, Damsgaard, Lewis-Potter; Thiago

Prediction: Macclesfield Town 1-2 Brentford

While Macclesfield Town will undoubtedly put forth significant effort, they are likely to pose a challenging opposition at home. Nevertheless, given the significant difference in their positions within the football pyramid, a Brentford victory seems the most predictable outcome.