Preview: Bayer Leverkusen vs Union Berlin - prediction, team news, lineups

Bayer Leverkusen must bounce back from their opening loss of the Bundesliga campaign with a win on Saturday against visitors Union Berlin at BayArena.

The hosts suffered a shock 3-2 defeat to Elversberg last weekend and find themselves in 12th place with zero points, while ninth-placed Union Berlin picked up a point after drawing 3-3 with Eintracht Frankfurt on August 29.

Match preview

Leverkusen fans would have hoped that the new season would help the club put the instability of 2025-26 behind them, but their loss to newly-promoted Elversberg was alarming.

Die Werkself were trailing 3-0 before they netted their first in the 77th minute, and the fact they conceded twice within the first 10 minutes of the game raised serious concerns.

Carles Martinez's side are now winless in three Bundesliga matches - two losses and one stalemate - though the head coach should be afforded patience given he was only appointed in June.

The hosts did emerge as 4-0 victors against Wehen in the DFB-Pokal's first round on August 22, and they have now netted two or more goals in four of their last six competitive contests.

Leverkusen will hope to enjoy better fortune at BayArena ahead of their first clash at the stadium in 2026-27, especially after they ended the prior campaign with five draws, two losses and just two triumphs in their final nine games at the ground.

Union Berlin deserve immense credit after coming back from a 3-1 deficit against Frankfurt to claim a point, though they will hope that Tim Skarke will not have to score injury-time equalisers every week.

Die Eisernen are now unbeaten in five games in all competitions, winning three times, with their victory this term a 4-2 success against Braunschweig in the DFB-Pokal on August 23.

That was Union's second consecutive away win, but they were beaten in six of their previous seven contests on the road.

Boss Mauro Lustrinelli must address his team's weaknesses on their travels considering his side have conceded 13 goals in their past five away outings.

The visitors lost 2-0 to Leverkusen in 2025-26's corresponding fixture, though they responded to that October 2025 result with a 1-0 win at home in February.

Bayer Leverkusen Bundesliga form:

Bayer Leverkusen form (all competitions):

Union Berlin Bundesliga form:

Union Berlin form (all competitions):

Team News

Leverkusen have some concerns about the availability of Martin Terrier, but while he has not yet been ruled out, it may be safer to deploy attackers Moussa Diaby, Ibrahim Maza and Afonso Moreira behind centre-forward Patrik Schick.

Martinez's squad is otherwise largely fit, and he could opt to start Aleix Garcia and Equi Fernandez despite the midfielders playing poorly against Elversberg.

However, there will almost certainly be at least one change at the back, with Jarell Quansah likely to be reinstated into defence in place of right-back Lucas Vazquez.

Union's injury problems are somewhat more debilitating given at least three players are sidelined, with doubts existing about the fitness of several stars such as striker Andrej Ilic.

Emmanuel Latte Lath and Marin Ljubicic partnered each other up front against Frankfurt, but the two will need support from midfielders Rani Khedira and Aljoscha Kemlein.

Bayer Leverkusen possible starting lineup:

Flekken; Quansah, Bade, Tapsoba, Gutierrez; Garcia, Fernandez; Diaby, Maza, Moreira; Schick

Union Berlin possible starting lineup:

Raab; Juranovic, Querfeld, Uduokhai, Rothe; Aebischer, Khedira, Kemlein, Schafer; Lath, Ljubicic

We say: Bayer Leverkusen 2-1 Union Berlin

Leverkusen started in the worst possible manner in matchweek one, and they must avoid starting sluggishly again if they want to register their first points of the season.

Union Berlin proved to be threatening against Frankfurt, but their weaknesses on the road may ultimately prove costly at BayArena.

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