Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Bundesliga match.
The recent international break came at the perfect time for Bayer Leverkusen. Over the past week, the reigning German champions have scored 10 goals in two matches across the Bundesliga and the Champions League, while Union Berlin have not found the back of the net in a month. Thus, Bayer Leverkusen travel to the capital purely with victory in mind.
Union Berlin
Union Berlin's troubles began with their elimination from the DFB-Pokal at the hands of Arminia Bielefeld (0:2). Against Bayern Munich (0:3), Freiburg (0:0), and Wolfsburg (0:1), they created minimal dangerous chances — in their last outing against Wolfsburg, the team managed just 0.63 xG. In terms of the accumulated expected goals, the Berlin side sit second-last in the league table (11.16), with only FC St. Pauli (10.33) being less creative.
Bayer Leverkusen
It seems that Bayer Leverkusen's current form could allow them to challenge Bayern Munich for the title, should the Bavarians start dropping points. They rank in the top two of the Bundesliga for xG (26.06), and at home against Heidenheim (5:2), Bayern Leverkusen thrilled fans with a comeback from 0:2, thanks in part to Patrik Schick's hat-trick. Against Salzburg in the Champions League (5:0), it was Florian Wirtz who shone brightly (2+1), so their upcoming trip to Berlin shouldn't hold any unpleasant surprises for Bayer Leverkusen.
Union Berlin vs Bayer Leverkusen Prediction
Over the last two seasons, Union Berlin have suffered three defeats against Bayer Leverkusen in their four head-to-head encounters, with a total scoreline of 0:10. The choice of favourite is clear.
