Bayer Leverkusen will look to recover from their surprise opening-day defeat by SV Elversberg when they host Union Berlin in the Bundesliga on 5 September 2026. The home side are favourites with bookmakers, but will need a marked improvement after beginning the new campaign with a 3-2 loss.
Bayer Leverkusen were beaten away from home by SV Elversberg in their first league match, despite dominating possession and creating plenty of opportunities. They had 67% of the ball, registered 21 attempts and produced an expected-goals figure of 1.88, but only four of their efforts were on target.
The hosts found themselves three goals behind before mounting a late response. Patrik Schick pulled one back with a well-taken finish, before Christian Kofane scored again to give Bayer Leverkusen hope. They could not find an equaliser, however, and left the match without a point.
That result leaves the Leverkusen club 12th in the Bundesliga table after the opening round. Their league campaign followed a more convincing start in the DFB-Pokal, where they defeated SV Wehen Wiesbaden 4-0 in the first round.
Union Berlin have also been involved in two high-scoring matches in their two competitive fixtures this season. Their campaign began with a 4-2 away win against Eintracht Braunschweig, a result which sent them through to the last 16 of the DFB-Pokal.
The Berlin club then drew 3-3 with Eintracht Frankfurt in the opening round of the Bundesliga. Union Berlin appeared to be heading for defeat after falling two goals behind, but recovered to claim a point.
Emmanuel Latte Lath scored for the visitors in the first half, while Leopold Querfeld and Tim Skarke found the net after the interval. The comeback moved Union Berlin into eighth place in the early Bundesliga standings.
The recent record between the teams gives Bayer Leverkusen some encouragement. They have won three of their past five meetings with Union Berlin and lost once during that sequence. The most recent encounter ended in a 1-0 victory for Union Berlin.
Bayer Leverkusen have won three of their previous five matches overall, while Union Berlin have suffered only one defeat in their last five games. Both clubs have already shown they can contribute to open, entertaining matches, with each of Union Berlin’s official fixtures this season producing at least six goals.
The prediction is for Bayer Leverkusen to win. The home side are expected to respond to their setback against SV Elversberg by producing a stronger attacking display and making their pressure count. With the bookmakers also rating them as favourites, Bayer Leverkusen are backed to overcome Union Berlin and begin their recovery from the first-round defeat.