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Bundesliga action returns over the weekend and in their first game of 2022, Bayer Leverkusen invite Union Berlin to the BayArena on Saturday.
The home side are on a run of four games without a win across all competitions, with three of those ending in losses. Just one point separates Leverkusen, in fourth place, and Union Berlin, in seventh place.
The visiting side signed off for 2021 with a narrow 1-0 win over Bochum while the hosts suffered a 2-1 defeat at Freiburg in their previous outing.
Bayer Leverkusen vs Union Berlin Head-to-Head
This will be just the ninth meeting between the two sides across all competitions. In eight encounters so far, the hosts have enjoyed a better run against the capital club and lead 5-1 in wins, while the spoils have been shared twice in this fixture.
They last squared off in a league fixture at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei in August in the opening match of the Bundesliga 2021-22 campaign. The game ended in a 1-1 draw.
Bayer Leverkusen form guide (all competitions): L-D-L-L-W
Union Berlin form guide (all competitions): W-D-L-D-W
Bayer Leverkusen vs Union Berlin Team News
Bayer Leverkusen
Charles Aránguiz is out until the end of the month with a calf injury. Here are the rest of the absentees for Die Werkself:
- Julian Baumgartlinger - Knee injury
- Exequiel Palacios - Back injury
- Timothy Fosu-Mensah - Match fitness
Odilon Kossounou and Edmond Tapsoba have joined up with the Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso national camps for the upcoming AFCON.
Injured: Julian Baumgartlinger, Charles Aránguiz, Exequiel Palacios
Doubtful: Timothy Fosu-Mensah
Suspended: None
Unavailable (AFCON): Odilon Kossounou, Edmond Tapsoba
Union Berlin
Keita Endo is expected to miss the game on account of a knock. Here are the rest of the absentees for Die Eisernen:
- Laurenz Dehl - Undisclosed
- Pawel Wszolek - COVID-19
- Sheraldo Becker - COVID-19
Top-scorer Taiwo Awoniyi has been called up to the Nigeria national team for the AFCON and is expected to miss at least a couple of weeks of club action.
Injured: Laurenz Dehl, Keita Endo
Doubtful: None
Suspended: None
Unavailable: Taiwo Awoniyi (AFCON), Pawel Wszolek (COVID-19), Sheraldo Becker (COVID-19)
Bayer Leverkusen vs Union Berlin Predicted XI
Bayer Leverkusen Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Lukas Hradecky; Piero Hincapie, Panagiotis Retsos, Jonathan Tah, Jeremie Frimpong; Mitchel Bakker, Robert Andrich; Amine Adli, Florian Wirtz, Moussa Diaby; Patrik Schick
Union Berlin Predicted XI (3-4-1-2): Andreas Luthe; Paul Jaeckel, Robin Knoche, Timo Baumgartl; Niko Giesselmann, Grischa Promel, Rani Khedira, Christopher Trimmel; Genki Haraguchi; Andreas Voglsammer, Max Kruse
Bayer Leverkusen vs Union Berlin Prediction
Union Berlin might struggle in the final in the absence of top-scorer Awoniyi. Leverkusen, on the other hand, will be counting on Schick to continue his goalscoring ways.
Union Berlin have just two wins on their travels, so a win for the hosts is on the cards.
Prediction: Bayer Leverkusen 2-1 Union Berlin
