Bayer Leverkusen will look to take a step closer to the Bundesliga title when they hit the road to square up against Union Berlin.
Union Berlin are all set to host Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen at the Stadion An der Alten Forsterei. Xabi Alonso’s team are closing in on their first-ever Bundesliga title, and they will look to keep their unbeaten record intact in this away fixture.
The home team are currently 12th in the league with 29 points out of their 27 matches. They are nine points clear of the drop zone but will have to improve their current form if they intend to stay away from the relegation zone. Union Berlin have only won one out of their last five league games.
They ended their winless streak against FC Magdeburg with a 3-1 win but are heading into this fixture on the back of a 0-0 draw against Eintracht Frankfurt. If the home team wants to take something away from this game, they will have to be at their very best to do that.
The visitors have not lost even once since the start of the season. They are top of the table and have a 13-point advantage over second-placed Bayern Munich. Die Werkself are all set to win their first league title, and it is just a matter of time before it becomes official.
Bayer Leverkusen have won each of their last five league outings and are heading into this one on the back of a 4-0 win over Fortuna Dusseldorf in the semi-final of the DFB-Pokal. Alonso’s team are flying him, and stopping them will be a huge task for the home team. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could put to use.
Team News & Tactics
Union Berlin
Jerome Roussillon, Jakob Busk, and Janik Haberer are all unavailable for this fixture. But, they do have a boost as Andras Schafer is back from suspension and in contention to start here.
The home team will go ahead with the 3-5-2 formation, where Frederik Ronnow will start in goal. The back three will be made up of Danilho Doekhi, Diogo Leite, and Kevin Vogt. They will look for a clean sheet and will receive the much-needed support from Christopher Trimmel and Robin Gosens, who will feature as the wing-backs.
Rani Khedira will be the defensive midfielder for the home team, and he will have the support of Lucas Tousart and Andras Schafer in the centre of the park. In attack, Yorbe Vertessen will pair up with Kevin Volland as they look to go past the defence in the league.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Ronnow; Doekhi, Vogt, Leite; Trimmel, Tousart, Khedira, Schafer, Gosens; Vertessen, Volland
Bayer Leverkusen
Bayer Leverkusen will be without the services of Arthur, who has been out injured since August last year. He is closing in on a return and should be back in time for the final few fixtures of the season.
They have a big boost as their top scorer Victor Boniface is back from injury. He made his return in their previous outing. Exequiel Palacios is also back from injury, but he was not used in their previous outing.
Alonso’s team will line up in a 3-4-2-1 formation, where Lukas Hradecky will return between the sticks. The back three will be made up of Edmond Tapsoba, Jonathan Tah and Piero Hincapie. Jeremie Frimpong and Alejandro Grimaldo, who have been in sensational form throughout the season, will feature as wing-backs.
In the centre of the park, Palacios will return to the XI, and he will start alongside Granit Xhaka. Jonas Hofmann and Florian Wirtz will be the two attacking midfielders for the home team, while Patrik Schick should continue up top with Boniface once again making an appearance off the bench.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Hradecky; Tapsoba, Tah, Hincapie; Frimpong, Xhaka, Palacios, Grimaldo; Hofmann, Wirtz; Schick
Key Stats
- Bayer Leverkusen won the reverse fixture 4-0.
- Union Berlin have won five out of their last seven home games.
- Xabi Alonso’s team are on an incredible 40-match unbeaten run since the start of the season.
- The home team have failed to beat or score against Bayer Leverkusen in their last three outings.
- Bayer Leverkusen have secured Champions League football and have equalled their best-ever points tally in the league. (73)
Player to Watch
Florian Wirtz
The 20-year-old German international has been on fire throughout the season. He has played a big part in Bayer Leverkusen’s dominance, and Xabi Alonso will hope the attacking sensation once again steps up and helps them get another step closer to the league title.
Wirtz has featured in 38 matches and he has contributed towards 31 goals. He has found the back of the net on 13 occasions and has 18 assists to his name. These are already sensational numbers, and he will look to add a few more to it before the season comes to an end.
Prediction
Union Berlin 0-2 Bayer Leverkusen
Union Berlin might have recovered after a disappointing start to the season. But their recent form hasn’t been that great, and they are going to square up against a team that has not lost a game this season. It is going to be a very tough task for them, and they might not have enough in their tanks to go past Xabi Alonso’s team. The Hard Tackle predicts an easy 2-0 win for the visitors.