Union Berlin remains unbeaten at home even after the 30th Bundesliga match day, with the 21st home game without defeat across the season, the club record is set.
The Berliners played 0-0 against the in-form team from Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday (April 29, 2023) and had slightly better chances. The Leverkusen series also lasted: Bayer has been unbeaten in 14 competitive games and has won ten of them.
“One was an intense, great 0-0 game,” said Union coach Urs Fischer. “We played 90 minutes against the team with the best form in the league. We were able to neutralize Leverkusen’s transition game. That’s why the team gets a lot of praise.”
Guest coach Xabi Alonso also praised the Berliners in an interview with Sportschau. “Union have good players, a great coach and a clear idea of what they want.”
Leverkusen with Tabsoba in midfield
Union got off to a much better start, including several promising opportunities in the first twelve minutes. After that, Leverkusen found themselves more and more secure, also thanks to Edmond Tapsoba. The regular central defender appeared for Bayer in defensive midfield for the first time and completed his task with ease.
Because Union also defended aggressively and effectively as usual, the 0-0 at the break was logical.
Laidouni forgives
The second half also started with a big chance for Union: After Piero Hincapie’s header was too short, Aissa Laidouni came free on the 16th, but shot just over.
The game remained characterized by disciplined defensive work. Even though Bayer’s playmaker Florian Wirtz returned to the starting XI after recovering from illness, Leverkusen hardly found any gaps in the Berlin defense by the 16s at the latest. “I played here for the first time. It was very difficult for us, they really made the space very narrow”, Wirtz said on “Sky”. Leverkusen’s final offensive with several dangerous attacks came too late.
Leverkusen against Cologne rescheduled
Union remains in third place in the table due to the draw, but the pursuers are getting closer. Leipzig is only two points behind, Freiburg is already tied. The Berliners will be visiting FC Augsburg at 3:30 p.m. next Saturday.
For Leverkusen, the neighboring duel against 1. FC Köln is on the program, the game was originally scheduled for Sunday at 3.30 p.m. On Friday, however, the German Football League announced that the game would be brought forward two days to Friday at 8:30 p.m.
Leverkusen wanted the transfer to have more regeneration time before the semi-final first leg in the Europa League. On Thursday, May 11, six days after the new date for the game against Köln, Bayer take on AS Roma.