Four wins on the bounce, with the last game ending 3-1 against a bogey team in Fürth with the previous seven home games against them failing to produce one win: FC Union Berlin have their tails up ahead of the DFB Cup second round tie at the BayArena on Tuesday (kick-off 18.30 CET). Last season Borussia Dortmund discovered Union Berlin could be an uncomfortable and determined opponent for big top-flight sides in one-off games – BVB needed a penalty shoot-out on their own turf to progress to the next round. And the Berliners head to Leverkusen in confident mood as goalkeeper Daniel Mesenhöler explained: "Leverkusen are very good opponents but if we have a really good day then we're in with a decent chance of going through."
Of course, the Werkself will be determined to avoid that under any circumstance. "Union are a well-organised side and make life extremely difficult for any opponent," declared defensive stalwart Sven Bender. And head coach Heiko Herrlich is firmly convinced his players will face a tough battle in the Cup on Tuesday. "We accept the role of favourites in this encounter but we must be aware we're facing an opponent who has nothing to lose and wants to cause an upset here," said the Werkself coach at the pre-match press conference at the media centre at the BayArena, broadcast live as usual on Bayer 04.de and on Faceboook.
Herrlich added: "It's a competition where you can't put things right after a defeat. So we need to be absolutely on our toes and fully focused on the game as the Berliners have a very strong squad and deservedly are in the leading group in the second division."
Bayer 04 will be without Tin Jedvaj (rehab) and Kevin Volland who suffered an ankle injury on Saturday at Mönchengladbach in a collision with the Borussia keeper Yann Sommer. Central defender Jonathan Tah is also suffering from a slight knock. "Jona should have recovered by tomorrow," said Herrlich who is considering making one or two changes but does not want to give anything away before the match: "I'm assuming we'll give several players a chance who have not had much time on the pitch recently."
Bayer 04 are expecting a crowd of 25,000 for the Cup tie against Union Berlin. 23,500 tickets have been sold so far and the Berliners are bringing 3,000 fans with them. Tickets will be available from the BayArena ticket offices on the night.
Bayer 04 and main sponsor BarmeniaGothaer have shown great commitment to the community as the sale of custom-designed T-shirts for charity in the Fanwelt as part of the “BarmeniaGothaer Brings Joy campaign raised a good €5,000. Bayer 04 matched this sum with an equal contribution. As a result, a total of €10,000 was presented to Edmond Tapsoba for his foundation ahead of the home match against Hamburg. The foundation supports people facing challenging daily circumstances in his home country of Burkina Faso.
Show more
Bayer 04 host Hamburg at the BayArena for the first time since September 2017 on the final day of the 2025/26 Bundesliga season on Saturday (15:30 CEST). HSV are safe in their first campaign back in the top flight after back-to-back wins, but Leverkusen are unbeaten in their last 19 games against promoted teams as they go for the victory they need to have a chance to qualify for the UEFA Champions League. There’s also heavy discounts on food and drinks at the BayArena. Here’s all you need to know ahead of the Matchday 34 fixture in our matchday news.
Show more
As well as previously confirmed departures, Bayer 04 Women will also say goodbye to Vanessa Haim and Shen Menglu before Sunday’s final game of the season at home to Werder Bremen as the pair leave Leverkusen upon the expiration of their contracts.
Show more
The last competitive match of the 2025/26 season takes place at the BayArena on Saturday 16 May (kick-off 15:30 CEST), where Hamburger SV are the visitors. At the pre-match press conference, head coach Kasper Hjulmand discussed the mindset and the approach for the crucial final game against HSV, among other topics.
Show more
