Bayer Leverkusen will be looking for their first points of the new season when they host Union Berlin in Matchday 2 of the Bundesliga.
Both Bayer Leverkusen and Union Berlin will be eyeing their first win of the 2026/27 campaign when they square up against each other at the BayArena on Saturday afternoon.
The home team could only secure a sixth-place finish last time out with 59 points in their 34 outings. They will be hoping to put up a better show this time around and secure Champions League football.
While Leverkusen started their campaign with a dominant 4-0 win over SV Wehen Wiesbaden in the DFB Pokal, they ended up suffering a 3-2 defeat at the hands of newly promoted SV Elversberg. The home team will have to put up a much improved performance if they are to secure all three points against Union Berlin.
Meanwhile, the visitors finished 11th last season with just 39 points in their 34 outings. The last few seasons have not gone their way, and they will be hoping to break into the top half this time around. The Berlin-based club started the campaign with a 4-2 win over Eintracht Braunschweig in the DFB Pokal, but they could only manage a 3-3 draw in their opening league game against Eintracht Frankfurt.
While it was not the best possible result, they did come from two goals behind to secure the draw, which will give them a lot of confidence heading into this fixture. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Team News & Tactics
Bayer Leverkusen
Bayer Leverkusen remain without the services of Kennet Eichhorn (illness), Eliesse Ben Seghir (thigh injury), and Montrell Culbreath (foot injury) this weekend.
The home team are expected to line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Mark Flekken starting between the sticks. Miguel Gutierrez and Jarell Quansah should feature as the full-backs, while Facundo Medina is likely to pair up with Edmond Tapsoba in the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Ezequiel Fernandez and Aleix Garcia should form the double pivot. The duo will look to ensure that Leverkusen dominate possession and control the tempo of the game.
Afonso Moreira and Ibrahim Maza will feature on the flanks, providing width to their attacks, while Malik Tillman could take up the number ten role behind Patrik Schick, who will lead the line against Union Berlin at home.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Flekken; Quansah, Medina, Tapsoba, Gutierrez; Fernandez, Garcia; Maza, Tillman, Moreira; Schick
Union Berlin
Union Berlin have several players unavailable, with Robert Skov (muscle), Andrej Ilic (illness), Frederik Ronnow (thigh), Andrik Markgraf (cruciate ligament), Marvin Friedrich (unspecified), Stanley Nsoki (calf injury), and Oliver Burke (achilles tendon) all currently sidelined.
The visitors are expected to line up in a 4-4-2 formation, with Matheo Raab starting between the sticks. Josip Juranovic and Tom Rothe should feature as the full-backs, while Zeno van den Bosch is likely to line up alongside Leopold Querfeld in the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield, Jeong Woo-yeong and Michel Aebischer should occupy the wide areas, providing width and supporting the attack. Aljoscha Kemlein and Rani Khedira are expected to form the central midfield pairing, with the duo tasked with controlling possession and protecting the backline.
Up front, Marin Ljubicic is likely to partner Emmanuel Latte Lath in the final third. The two forwards will look to combine effectively and make the most of the chances that come their way against Bayer Leverkusen.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Raab; Juranovic, van den Bosch, Querfeld, Rothe; Jeong, Kemlein, Khedira, Aebischer; Ljubicic, Latte Lath
Key Stats
- Despite having a higher xG, Bayer Leverkusen ended up suffering a defeat at the hands of newly promoted SV Elversberg on matchday 1.
- Union Berlin have never won at the BayArena. They have lost six out of their nine trips.
- The two teams have faced each other on 16 occasions, with the Berlin-based outfit winning just two.
- Bayer Leverkusen have bagged 11 goals in their last five games, while Union Berlin have scored 12.
- Union Berlin have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last ten games.
Player to Watch
Malik Tillman
The 24-year-old American attacking midfielder joined Leverkusen in the summer of 2025. In his debut season, he contributed towards nine goals in just over 2,300 minutes. While he showcased a lot of promise, Tillman will be hoping he can become an integral part of their setup this time around.
He has yet to contribute towards a goal this season, but he is slowly getting closer to his best, and this game against Berlin at home could be the perfect opportunity for him to hit top gear. His creativity and finishing could both come in handy here.
Prediction
Bayern Leverkusen 3-1 Union Berlin
Bayer Leverkusen will be keen to bounce back from their disappointing defeat to Elversberg, and playing at the BayArena should give them an advantage. They have plenty of quality in the attacking areas and will be expected to dominate possession, while Union Berlin’s recent defensive struggles could make it difficult for the visitors to keep the hosts at bay.
Union Berlin have shown that they can cause problems in front of goal, but Leverkusen should have enough quality to secure all three points. The visitors could find the back of the net, but the home team’s superior attacking options should ultimately prove decisive. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 win for the home team.
