Bayer Leverkusen vs Union Berlin Preview: Team News & Prediction
by Alex Lawes ·
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Bayer Leverkusen need a response this weekend as they reel from a shock defeat in their opener ahead of the visit of Union Berlin to the BayArena.
Kick-off date/time:
How to watch on TV: UK – Not televised / USA – ESPN
How to watch online: UK – Cannot be streamed / USA – ESPN+
Bayer Leverkusen preview: Entertaining loss
Over the summer, Bayer Leverkusen have embarked upon another new era with the appointment of former Toulouse boss Carlos Martinez Novell and it has been a tough start to his reign.
Up against newly-promoted minnows Elversberg, Leverkusen succumbed to a 3-2 defeat last weekend, having been 3-0 down before late strikes from Patrick Schick and Christian Kofane did give them some hope.
Union Berlin preview: Fun start
Union Berlin also experienced a thriller in their opener as they shared a thrilling 3-3 draw with Eintracht Frankfurt at Alten Foresterei with goals from Leopold Querfeld and then Tim Skarke helping them come from 3-1 down in the capital city.
Perennial overachievers at this stage, Union are expecting to perhaps challenge for the top seven or eight and the European spots once again following the appointment of Mauro Lustrinelli, who managed to win the Swiss title with Thun last season.
Bayer Leverkusen team news: A few doubts
Bayer Leverkusen have a few key doubts for this one and they are all in attack with Montrell Culbreath, Eliesse Ben Seghir and Martin Terrier all potentially sidelined.
Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Flekken; Quansah, Bade, Tapsoba, Miguel Gutierrez; Ezequiel Fernandez, Aleix Garcia; Maza, Tillman, Afonso; Schick
Unavailable:
Questionable: Culbreath (Injured), Ben Seghir (Fitness), Terrier (Injured)
Union Berlin team news: Burke a doubt
Scotland international attacker Oli Burke is now a doubt for this one due to an Achilles issue, while Andrej Ilic is also potentially unavailable due to illness.
Predicted XI (4-4-2): Raab; Juranovic, Van Den Bosch, Querfeld, Rothe; Schafer, Khedira, Kemlein, Aebischer; Ljubicic, Latte Lath
Unavailable: Markgraf (Injured), Nsoki (Injured)
Questionable: Ronnow (Injured), Friedrich (Injured), Ilic (Illness), Burke (Injured)
Bayer Leverkusen vs Union Berlin prediction
Mauro Lustrinelli did an extremely impressive job in Switzerland last season and he did so with an entertaining style of football that has continued in the early stages of his tenure with Union, with their 3-3 draw against Frankfurt coming after a 4-2 defeat of Eintracht Braunschweig in the first round of the DFB-Pokal. Leverkusen have clear issues at the back as Carlos Martinez Novell bizarrely shifts from his and Leverkusen’s preferred back three shape and so both teams scoring seems a decent bet for this one.
Bayer Leverkusen vs Union Berlin tip: Both teams to score
