Bayer Leverkusen have forgotten the taste of defeat since Kasper Hjulmand’s arrival, but winning has not been easy either. Die Werkself will try to improve on their mediocre start when they host Union Berlin, who are also struggling to find consistency.
Bayer Leverkusen have lost only once this season and never under Kasper Hjulmand, but their undefeated streak won them just enough points to surpass their worst season start of the past decade. Perhaps the last-minute staff changes at the start of the campaign will have a long-term effect, but Die Werkself can’t allow more slip-ups after squandering multiple goal leads that led to draws. Leverkusen scored first in seven of their eight fixtures this season, but only went on to win three. Whether its a fitness-related issue or the team just loses concentration remains unclear, but something has to change.
Union Berlin are here to make their life even harder after beating Eintracht 4-3 and reaching a painful draw with newly-promoted Hamburger. Consistency is key and they don’t have it, and Leverkusen should take advantage. Die Eisernen have had some incredible moments on the road lately, only losing three of their last 10 Bundesliga away games.
How the bookies view it: Leverkusen week in, week out
Bayer Leverkusen have been favourites in every single fixture this season, but luck has not been on their side for anything else. This time, there is extra value in the odds and Leverkusen’s 7/10 is suitable even for single bets. Alternatively, you can pick the draw at 3/1 or Union Berlin at 15/4.
Recent head-to-head: A forgettable nil-nil
Union Berlin had a few impressive runs in recent years but playing Bayer Leverkusen has always been one of the tougher tasks during the season. Die Eisernen last won a H2H in 2021, and since then, Leverkusen won four times, while five ended level. But last season’s edition of this fixture left much to be desired after ending at 0-0.
Players to watch: Kofane deserves the extra minutes
With Patrik Schick out of the equation due to a thigh injury, Bayer Leverkusen need someone to step up and score goals, and Christian Michel Kofane seems to be the obvious choice. The Cameroonian was in the starting line up for just the second time this season and scored Bayer’s only goal against PSV. Statistically, you will probably be unimpressed by his performance, but keep in mind that he had played just 119 minutes before getting forced into the starting lineup this week.
Probable line-ups
Bayer Leverkusen: Flekken, Tapsoba, Bade, Quansah, Grimaldo, Garcia, Andrich, Vazquez, Tillman, Seghir, Kofane
Union Berlin: Ronnow, Doekhi, Querfeld, Leite, Khedira, Haberer, Trimmel, Kohn, Burke, Ansah, Ilic
Anything else catch the eye?
We’ve seen goals in large quantities in both teams’ games, and we expect the same on this occasion. Bayer Leverkusen have the skills to crush most teams on a good day, but their defence lacks concentration, which lost them too many points in five rounds. They conceded at least one goal in seven out of eight matches, the only exception being the DFB Pokal match against Grossaspach from the 4th tier.
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