Bayer Leverkusen – Union Berlin
A touch of drama accompanies the clash between Bayer Leverkusen and 1. FC Union Berlin at the BayArena this Saturday. While the “Werkself” does not want to increase its six-point deficit on league leaders Bayern Munich, the Berliners are hoping to finally escape the relegation battle with another success. After the narrow 1-0 win against Wolfsburg, Union has at least taken a deep breath with 33 points in 13th place in the table.
- Match location: BayArena, Leverkusen
- Date and time: 04/12/2025, 3:30 pm
- Competition: Bundesliga (Matchday 29)
Leverkusen Form & record check
Bayer Leverkusen suffered a number of setbacks in April, including the bitter cup defeat against Arminia Bielefeld. However, Xabi Alonso’s team still remains in second place in the Bundesliga, with a comfortable 14-point lead over their closest rivals Frankfurt. But the narrow 1-0 win in Heidenheim recently showed that the Werkself are sometimes lacking in ease. A late goal from substitute Emiliano Buendia secured the win after they had fallen well short of their own expectations for a long time.
At least Florian Wirtz, the linchpin in the offensive game, could soon be back on the pitch. According to coach Alonso, the comeback of the exceptional talent is possible sooner than expected. In addition to him, rumors about Alonso’s possible future at Real Madrid are also fueling the conversation: It is still unclear how much this will affect the final push at Leverkusen.
Xabi Alonso is likely to line his team up in a 3-4-2-1 system again. However, important players are missing: first and foremost Florian Wirtz, who is still officially out with an inner ligament injury. It remains to be seen whether he will really be out for the entire time, as Alonso has recently promised an earlier return.
Union Berlin Form & Record Check
Union Berlin have impressively escaped from the danger zone. Four of their last five Bundesliga games have ended in a draw, earning them a proud ten points. Particularly noteworthy were the 1-1 draw against Bayern Munich and the recent away wins in Frankfurt (2-1) and Freiburg (2-1). The most recent 1-0 win over Wolfsburg proves that the Berliners, coached by Steffen Baumgart, are on the right track.
The focus here is on Benedict Hollerbach, who scored the winning goal against Wolfsburg. His mental strength, which he revealed during a conversation with the team psychologist at half-time, points to a growing sense of unity. With 33 points and 13th place in the table, Berlin are six points clear of the relegation zone and now seem to be looking more towards the top. It is striking that in 80% of the games, the decisive goals were scored after the break – Union seem to really turn it on in the second half.
At Union Berlin, the 3-5-2 system is a fixed size under Steffen Baumgart. Doekhi, Querfeld and Leite are likely to defend in the back three, while Rønnow will guard the goal as usual. Trimmel and Juranović are expected on the wings, both of whom work defensively but can also drive forward.
Khedira is likely to operate as a sweeper in the center, supported by Schäfer and Haberer. Ilić and Hollerbach are likely to start in attack. The latter is currently demonstrating remarkable finishing skills. Baumgart will continue to be without Kemlein, Skov and Jeong, who are unavailable due to injury.
Leverkusen vs Union Berlin Statics
Bayer Leverkusen have dominated the more recent history of direct duels against Union Berlin. In the last five Bundesliga meetings, the Werkself celebrated four wins and a draw. It is striking that Leverkusen won the last three games in a row without conceding a goal.
In November 2024, Alonso narrowly won the away game in Berlin 2-1, after his team had already won 1-0 there in April. When Union last visited the BayArena in 2023, it was even 4-0 to Leverkusen. The only draw for the Berliners during this period was a 0-0 in Berlin, also in 2023.
In addition, four of these five duels ended with fewer than 1.5 goals in the first half. Union have not yet beaten Leverkusen and have only scored once in all these encounters. This is a real challenge for coach Baumgart.
