Match Information
Match Overview
Bayer Leverkusen host Union Berlin at the BayArena on September 5, 2026, in a Regular Season - 2 fixture that offers both sides an early chance to correct course after contrasting starts. Leverkusen sit 15th in the table, while Union Berlin occupy 7th, a gap that frames this as an important early-season measuring stick rather than a settled hierarchy given how few rounds have been played.
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Recent form is the most telling factor here. Leverkusen head into this match off a 3-2 Bundesliga defeat away to SV Elversberg on August 29, their only competitive league fixture of the campaign so far, though they did progress in the DFB Pokal with a 4-0 win away at SV Wehen on August 22. Union Berlin, by contrast, opened their league campaign with a 3-3 draw at home to Eintracht Frankfurt on August 29 and also won their DFB Pokal tie 4-2 away at Eintracht Braunschweig on August 23. Both sides have shown they can score goals in bunches but have also conceded freely, with Leverkusen shipping three at Elversberg and Union Berlin conceding three at home to Frankfurt.
The head-to-head record adds context without dictating expectations. Leverkusen have historically had the upper hand in this fixture, including a 5-0 and a 4-0 victory in past meetings, though Union Berlin's most recent win came away from home on February 21, 2026, a 1-0 result. That history suggests competitiveness has grown between these two clubs in recent seasons.
No injury concerns have been reported for either squad, meaning both managers, Carles Martinez for Leverkusen and Mauro Lustrinelli for Union Berlin, should have full squads to select from. With early-season form still fluid, this match offers both teams an opportunity to build momentum on home advantage at the BayArena.
Predicted Lineups
Bayer Leverkusen
M. Flekken; Lucas, L. Bade, E. Tapsoba, M. Gutierrez; E. Fernandez, A. Garcia, I. Maza, M. Tillman, A. Moreira; P. Schick
Union Berlin
M. Raab; J. Juranovic, L. Querfeld, Z. Van Den Bosch, T. Rothe; A. Kemlein, M. Aebischer, R. Khedira, A. Schafer; M. Ljubicic, E. Latte Lath
Team Form Analysis
Bayer Leverkusen
League Position: 15Bayer Leverkusen Form Analysis
Bayer Leverkusen's competitive form shows a team still finding consistency. Their Bundesliga opener ended in a 3-2 defeat away to SV Elversberg on August 29, a result that saw them concede three goals despite scoring twice themselves, pointing to defensive vulnerabilities that will need addressing. In contrast, their DFB Pokal outing was far more convincing, a 4-0 away win over SV Wehen on August 22, showcasing the attacking quality within the squad when firing on all cylinders. Their preseason friendlies produced mixed results, including wins over Newcastle and Sevilla alongside a defeat to Nottingham Forest, suggesting a squad still calibrating its form and cohesion ahead of the competitive season. The attacking output across these matches has generally been solid, but the goals conceded in the Elversberg defeat highlight defensive organization as an area of focus heading into the Union Berlin fixture. With a 15th-place league standing after just one match, Leverkusen will be eager to register their first league points of the campaign at home.
Union Berlin
League Position: 7Union Berlin Form Analysis
Union Berlin's form has been defined by high-scoring, entertaining matches rather than defensive solidity. Their Bundesliga opener produced a 3-3 draw at home to Eintracht Frankfurt on August 29, a match in which they shared six goals and showed attacking intent but also defensive lapses. That pattern continued in the DFB Pokal, where they won 4-2 away at Eintracht Braunschweig on August 23, again finding the net freely while conceding at the other end. Preseason form was similarly mixed, with a 4-2 friendly defeat to Ipswich on August 15 offset by a 3-2 win over Aris and a 2-2 draw with Cagliari. The consistent theme is goals at both ends, suggesting an attacking unit capable of hurting opponents but a defense that has been breached regularly. Sitting 7th in the table after one league match, Union Berlin will look to tighten up defensively while maintaining their attacking threat against a Leverkusen side also searching for defensive stability.
Head-to-Head
Bayer Leverkusen
Union Berlin
Recent Meetings
| Date | Home | Score | Away |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-02-21 | Union Berlin | 1 - 0 | Bayer Leverkusen |
| 2025-10-04 | Bayer Leverkusen | 2 - 0 | Union Berlin |
| 2025-04-12 | Bayer Leverkusen | 0 - 0 | Union Berlin |
| 2024-11-30 | Union Berlin | 1 - 2 | Bayer Leverkusen |
| 2024-04-06 | Union Berlin | 0 - 1 | Bayer Leverkusen |
| 2023-11-12 | Bayer Leverkusen | 4 - 0 | Union Berlin |
| 2023-04-29 | Union Berlin | 0 - 0 | Bayer Leverkusen |
| 2022-11-06 | Bayer Leverkusen | 5 - 0 | Union Berlin |
| 2022-01-08 | Bayer Leverkusen | 2 - 2 | Union Berlin |
| 2021-08-14 | Union Berlin | 1 - 1 | Bayer Leverkusen |
Memorable Matches
This fixture has produced some striking scorelines over the years. On November 6, 2022, Bayer Leverkusen delivered a commanding 5-0 win at home, one of the most one-sided results in the recent history between these clubs. A year later, on November 12, 2023, Leverkusen again dominated with a 4-0 home victory, underlining a period of clear superiority in this matchup. More recently, the pendulum has swung, with Union Berlin securing a 1-0 away win on February 21, 2026, their first victory over Leverkusen in this run of meetings and a signal of the growing competitiveness between the two sides as Union Berlin have developed into a more consistent Bundesliga force.
Venue Factor
The BayArena has traditionally been a stronghold for Bayer Leverkusen, and hosting Union Berlin gives them the chance to draw on home support as they look to open their league account for the season. Union Berlin will travel to Leverkusen looking to replicate their away form shown in the DFB Pokal, where they won 4-2 at Eintracht Braunschweig on August 23, demonstrating they can perform away from home. The atmosphere at the BayArena is often a factor in tight Bundesliga contests, and with both teams still searching for def
Injury Concerns
Bayer Leverkusen
Union Berlin
