Table of Contents
Bayer Leverkusen vs. Union Berlin
Two matches are still to come on Sunday to conclude the 13th matchday of the Bundesliga. The first of these is the clash between the still struggling Werkself from Leverkusen and the league leaders 1. FC Union Berlin. Kick-off is at 15:30 in the BayArena. You can read our predictions for this match in our Leverkusen vs Union tip.
Union always finished behind Leverkusen in the previous three Bundesliga seasons, but that will most likely not happen this year. After only twelve matchdays, the Champions League participants already have 17 points less on their account than Urs Fischer’s sensationally performing team. At the moment, it doesn’t look as if the Werkself will find its way back to its old strength in the near future.
The running performance is one of the reasons why the two teams are currently so far apart. Union Berlin have run the most in the league so far this season (an average of 118.2 kilometres per game), while Leverkusen are only 14th in this ranking with an average of 111.3 kilometres per game. The willingness to play is also directly related to the number of goals conceded. Union conceded the fewest goals (nine) in the Bundesliga, while Leverkusen conceded the third most (25).
Leverkusen – Union info:
– Date & Time: 06.11.2022, 15:30 hrs.
– Venue: BayArena, Leverkusen
– Competition: Bundesliga, Matchday 13
– TV broadcast: DAZN
Leverkusen Form & Balance Check
For Bayer 04 Leverkusen, this season is and remains a never-ending nightmare. After a disappointing start to the season, those in charge opted for a change of coach early on, replacing Gerardo Seoane with Xabi Alonso before matchday 9. The Werkself won his debut against Schalke clearly and emphatically with 4:0, but apparently this clear victory can only be explained by the lack of quality of the opponent.
In the Bundesliga, Bayer took only one point from the following three games. The clear 1:5 defeat in Frankfurt was followed by the 2:2 draw against VfL Wolfsburg, before the most recent away game at RB Leipzig was lost 0:2. Even the world and European champion has not been able to fix the defensive problems after taking over the reins.
First win under Alonso
The Werkself still managed to finish third in the Champions League ahead of Atlético Madrid, which means they can spend the winter in the Europa League. However, the three performances under Xabi Alonso, especially the most recent 0:0 against Brugge, were anything but convincing. Of the seven competitive games since the change of coach, Leverkusen have only won the first game against Schalke. The bitter reality at the moment is a relegation battle.
Leverkusen facts & analysis
– 9 points from 12 games
– Last lost 0:2 in Leipzig
– Winless in 6 competitive matches
Union Form & Balance Check
After SC Freiburg booked their place in the last 16 of the Europa League early on, 1. FC Union Berlin also secured their place in the knockout phase on the final matchday of the group stage. Just as we predicted in our betting tips, the Eisernen won their last group match at the Belgian Group D leaders with 1:0.
It was the fourth 1-0 win in a row for the Berliners after the two opening defeats on the international stage. In the Bundesliga, the capitals have so far won twice with this result. It’s easy to see why Union has been so successful this year. The team is incredibly compact against the ball and usually only needs one decisive push to take home the three points in the end.
How long will the run of form last?
Although this kind of football is certainly not the most beautiful, it is currently the most successful. For seven match days now, the Eisern have been in first place in the Bundesliga, ahead of top teams like Bayern and Dortmund. The last club to lead the table for so long and not be Bayern Munich was Borussia Mönchengladbach in the first half of the 2019/20 season.
Statistically, however, the nice snapshot could come to an end on the coming matchday. Union have never won at the BayArena, and in addition to one defeat and two draws in the Bundesliga, the Köpenickers were eliminated in the DFB Cup in Leverkusen in 2017/18 (1:4) and 2019/20 (1:3). In addition, the Eisernen have lost two of their last three away games – first 0:2 in Frankfurt and on the penultimate matchday 1:2 in Bochum. Last weekend, the Berliners turned a 0:1 deficit into a 2:1 victory against Borussia Mönchengladbach. The two goals only came in the 79th and 97th minutes.
Union facts & analysis
– 26 points from 12 games.
– Last win 2:1 against Mönchengladbach
– Top of the table for 7 matchdays
Predicted line-up – last update on 4 November 2022
A number of changes are conceivable for the Werkself, as nobody has really convinced in recent weeks. Adam Hlozek, Amine Adli, Exequiel Palacios, Kerem Demirbay and/or Odilon Kossounou could also be in the starting eleven. Only Sardar Azmoun and Florian Wirtz are missing due to injury.
Union will rotate in a few positions after the Europa League match. Regular keeper Frederik Rönnow has injured his thigh and is still questionable for Sunday. Florian Grill, who is curiously on loan from Bayer Leverkusen for this season, is available as a replacement. Andras Schäfer played through the Europa League but, like his keeper, did not come through the game in Belgium unscathed. Morten Thorsby is expected to play in his place. We expect this starting eleven, but almost every player in the squad is an option for the starting eleven on Sunday.
Leverkusen – Union Direct comparison & Statistics
The direct comparison is clearly in favour of the Werkself, who have won five of the nine duels. Union won only once, three games ended in a draw. The last three encounters all failed to produce a winner, with the Berliners previously winning 1-0 at their own stadium.
– A year ago, Union Berlin were in 5th position in the table with 20 points. Currently they are in position 1 (26).
– The average number of goals in the first half in matches between Bayer Leverkusen and Union Berlin is 1.2.
– Attention, goals are likely to be scored today: Bayer Leverkusen have conceded one goal in each of their last 5 matches.
– A look at Bayer Leverkusen: Jeremie Frimpong is the top scorer with 5 goals. Sheraldo Becker scored 6 times for Union Berlin.
