Union Berlin vs Bayer Leverkusen
German Bundesliga, KO: 14:30 Nov 30, 2024, Stadion An der Alten ForstereiUnion Berlin have the most extraordinary stats this season but not in a great way. Bayer Leverkusen should be able to take advantage.
Union Berlin shouldn't be doing that badly if they are a point away from the Top 6, right? But then you see the nine goals they've scored since the start of the campaign and realise that it's almost all because of their defence and some luck.
It is a fact that they have the second-best defence in the league but it will never be enough to succeed long-term. They also has the 2nd weakest attack and recorded their fourth game in a row without a goal.
Union Berlin last scored over a month ago when they faced Eintracht Frankfurt. That's not something you'd want to hear if you are about to host Bayer Leverkusen.
The champions will not repeat their legendary season and the title is almost certainly going back to Munich. But their performance this season has been almost as good and they have the third most effective attack in the league with 26 goals in 11 rounds.
The only concern for “Winnerkusen” is their negative streak on the road. By negative, we mean four draws and a defeat to Liverpool in the Champions League, nothing unexpected. But they haven't won away in the Bundesliga in three games in a row, which is unusual.
How the bookies view it: Leverkusen to end the bad streak
Bookmakers gave Bayer Leverkusen a considerable advantage in odds. Kwiff priced them at 3/4, while Union Berlin are available at 18/5. Meanwhile, the draw is available at 14/5.
Recent head to head: All eyes on Leverkusen
Last season was all about Bayer Leverkusen. They won both fixtures and did not even concede a goal. Before that, Union Berlin had some good performances against them, but overall, they have a single win next to Bayer's five in the last 10 H2Hs.
Players to watch: Too many goalscorers in one team
Bayer Leverkusen have too many goalscorers at this point. Their 26 Bundesliga goals were scored by 12 different players, which is absurd. But if Boniface and Terrier miss this match, we have to back Florian Wirtz to score again.
The German scored a brace against Salzburg, plus an additional assist. He also scored the winning goal for Leverkusen against Union Berlin last season.
Probable line-ups
Union Berlin: Ronnow, Vogt, Leite, Doekhi, Rothe, Khedira, Tousart, Trimmel, Wooyeong, Hollerbach, Vertessen
Bayer Leverkusen: Hradecky, Tah, Tapsoba, Hincapie, Frimpong, Xhaka, Andrich, Grimaldo, Schick, Wirtz, Tella
Anything else catch the eye?
Bayer Leverkusen scored five goals in back-to-back matches, beating Salzburg 5-0 and Heidenheim 5-2. But both those games were at home. Their away stats have been concerning and we have our doubts.
We see no possible outcome that includes a high scoreline. Union Berlin have been abysmal in the final third and to make it even worse, they haven't scored against Leverkusen in four H2Hs in a row. It really all depends on Leverkusen's performance.
They could easily bottle this again and go home with a point, but we really believe they will end the negative streak with a win on Saturday.
This German Bundesliga match between Union Berlin and Bayer Leverkusen will be played on Nov 30, 2024 and kick off at 14:30. Check below for our tipsters best Union Berlin vs Bayer Leverkusen prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.