Bundesliga: Union Berlin Won’t Give Bayer Leverkusen a Free Pass

Union Berlin vs Bayer Leverkusen

Two of the rising teams here in the Bundesliga will meet anew as Union Berlin host Bayer Leverkusen this Friday night.

The hosts are running in good form lately since they have yet to be defeated in their last five league games and they will aim to extend such run to add more points to their campaign.

Meanwhile, it was a miserable time for Bayer Leverkusen in the last time out as they squandered a golden opportunity to go up in the standings.

Now they are winless in their last three and they are sitting at third with 29 points. Not far behind them are Union Berlin who are placed fifth with 25 markers.

But if there’s anything that Die Werkself can find solace in this upcoming game, it is the fact that Die Eisern have yet to win against them in such a long time.

Moreover, the SBOTOP betting odds back for Peter Bosz’s side to bounce back with a victory here. However, Urs Fischer’s men will look to prove the numbers and their critics wrong.

Talking Points

Union Berlin keep on pushing

Urs Fischer’s side continue to punch above their weight this season, but their work will be cut out for them as they are entering the tougher part of their schedule.

They will first clash with Bayer Leverkusen and then they’ll go head-to-head with RB Leipzig in the next few days. So this should serve as their gauge on how far they’ve come in their second straight season in German top-flight.

In the last time out, Die Eisern were held to a 2-2 draw against VfL Wolfsburg.

Union Berlin quickly took the lead with strikes from Sheraldo Becker and Robert Andrich, but their lead evaporated as the Wolves fought back despite being reduced to 10 men.

Wout Weghorst delivered the final blow with a penalty in the 65^th minute and the points were shared.

Taiwo Awoniyi has scored 5 goals in 13 Bundesliga matches this season — Union Berlin’s Taiwo Awoniyi fights for the ball against VfL Wolfsburg’s Marin Pongracic

Taiwo Awoniyi will be eager to regain his shooting touch and create more Bundesliga 2021 highlights. He is their second-leading scorer with five goals and one assist.

The Liverpool loanee would need to do the heavy lifting especially since their leading scorer in Max Kruse is out for weeks due to a knee injury.

Bayer Leverkusen need to get back on their feet quickly

Die Werkself would need to regain their form quickly if they want to keep their Bundesliga title hopes alive.

Bayer Leverkusen are winless in their last three games – with tough losses against Bayern Munich and Eintracht Frankfurt, along with a draw against Werder Bremen.

Peter Bosz’s men delivered a strong statement when they crushed Eintracht Frankfurt yesterday, 4-1, to advance in the third round of the DFB Pokal.

Lucas Alario finally broke his one-month scoring drought while Moussa Diaby had a brace and Edmond Tapsoba added one for good measure.

After being rested in their last game, Florian Wirtz should be in line to play heavy minutes to add more firepower in the middle.

The 17-year-old midfielder is a developing project for Peter Bosz, and he will be the x-factor in this contest.

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History

Since Union Berlin are still catching up in terms of tenure in the Bundesliga, league games between them and Bayer Leverkusen have come few and far between.

In their last five games together, Bayer Leverkusen have won in all of them – with four of them coming in high-scoring fashion.

These two sides last met in March during the DFB Pokal quarterfinals where Die Werkself came away with a comprehensive 3-1 victory.

Karim Bellarabi, Charles, Aranguiz, and Moussa Diaby all scored one goal each within the final 20 minutes as they took advantage of a Union Berlin squad that was reduced to 10 men.

Betting Tip

	Union Berlin vs Bayer Leverkusen	Bayer Leverkusen Asian Handicap -0.25 @ 1.88
	January 16, 03:30 (GMT+8)

As mentioned, the Bundesliga 2021 odds are favouring the road team to win in this contest. However, the margin of the disparity is smaller than most would expect.

Bayer Leverkusen are priced at 2.19, while Union Berlin are placed at 3.40 and a draw is at 3.15 in the 1X2 market.

Union Berlin and Bayer Leverkusen have both scored a healthy amount of goals in their last few matches, and I am expecting this to be the trend come Friday as well.

So you may fancy placing your bets on Total Goals 2-3 @ 1.96 or even Over 2.50 @ 2.23 as alternatives.

With Bayer Leverkusen have struggled in form lately, this should be the perfect time for them to bounce back.

Union Berlin can make their visitors uncomfortable with their gritty play, but their lack of firepower compared to Bayer Leverkusen may prove to be the difference in this encounter.