Bayer 04 could have considered themselves lucky at the end of the game. Only an impressive spell late on saw the Werkself secure a 3-2 away win in Berlin in the middle of February after the team from Köpenick made the better start to the game. The impressive performances by the newcomers in the league game should serve as a warning for the cup tie between the two teams – particularly as Union have fared so well on the road in recent times. The last two away fixtures in the Bundesliga at Eintracht Frankfurt (2-1) and Werder Bremen (2-0) were both won by the by Urs Fischer’s team – as was the DFB Cup Round of 16 tie at Regional League side SC Verl (1-0) that saw Union progress to the quarter-final encounter in Leverkusen.
The club from the capital are enjoying their best season in the DFB Cup since the legendary campaign in 2000/01 when the Berliners sensationally progressed to the final only to lose 2-0 to Schalke 04. Union started their current cup run with a 6-0 victory at Germania Halberstadt and a 3-1 win against league rivals SC Freiburg.
Even though the two goals conceded by Bayer 04 in the league match came from open play: The Werkself will have to be wary of set pieces from the Berliners. In Marvin Friedrich, Neven Subotic, Sebastian Polter and, in particular, Sebastian Andersson, Union have several outstanding headers of the ball and in the Bundesliga they have won the most aerial challenges by a distance: Unions players have come out on top in 763 of those challenges and Freiburg have the second highest number with over 200 less. In addition, Union have an outstanding set-piece specialist in Christopher Trimmel. The captain set up both goals from free kicks in Sunday’s 2-2 draw against VfL Wolfsburg.
But set plays are not the only danger given the exploits of one proven cup specialist: Midfielder Robert Andrich needed 23 games to score his first goal in the Bundesliga and yet has found the back of the net in the last three Union Berlin cup games. He scored the fifth goal at Halberstadt, the crucial second goal for his team at Freiburg and the winner in the 1-0 win at Verl. Andrich scored all three goals late on. So Bayer 04 should keep an eye out for the 25-year-old particularly at the end of the cup tie.
Talking about late on: In recent weeks, Union have again and again had problems in the final stages of games with four of the last six goals conceded after the 75th minute. The Berliners have led in the last three Bundesliga fixtures but only ended up winning once – and that was put at risk in Frankfurt with an own goal in the last quarter of an hour. Union conceded two goals in the last ten minutes against the Werkself and, in Sunday’s game against Wolfsburg, the Wolves equalised on 81 minutes to cancel out a 2-0 lead.
Tenth place after 24 games, a nine-point lead over the play-off spot and a place in the cup quarter-finals – the performance of the Berliners in their first season in the top-flight is more than remarkable. It certainly looks like Union should be able to establish a place in Germany's first division in the coming seasons. The club has certainly made a name for themselves over the years.
In spite of the recently discovered strength away from home, Union Berlin are the underdogs at Leverkusen. However, if the team led by Urs Fischer can repeat the performance in the Bundesliga game against the Werkself then that could make the quarter-final a tough proposition for Bayer 04.
Bayer 04 midfielder Ibrahim Maza was honoured in Paris in the Best Algerian Young Player category at the Fennec d'Or awards for the Algerian Footballer of the Year, organised for the first time by the football journal La Gazette du Fennec. "It's an honour for me," said the 19-year-old, delighted with the award.
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On the back of two wins within four days, Bayer 04 Women round off an intensive Bundesliga week in the Black Forest. Roberto Pätzold's side have the chance to move back up to third place against SC Freiburg in the final fixture of Matchday 10 on Monday (18:00 CET) and draw level on points with second-placed VfL Wolfsburg.
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The last international break of this calendar year features the final qualifying matches for the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico. An overview of who's playing where and when from a Leverkusen point of view.
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Never before have Bayer 04 led 4-0 so early in the Bundesliga, never before have they won a Bundesliga home match by a higher margin. Leverkusen's exhibition display against 1. FC Heidenheim 1846 produced many stories, records and debuts. While Kasper Hjulmand's side celebrated the rousing performance properly with the fans, Jonas Hofmann and Co aren't losing focus: "We have to be careful that we don't just praise ourselves. The games come thick and fast again after the international break." The Werkself Review has all the reaction and analysis of the 6-0 victory at the BayArena.
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