Bayer 04 Leverkusen vs 1. FC Union Berlin

Bayer Leverkusen welcome Union Berlin to the BayArena for their first home game of the season, a fixture with contrasting ambitions attached. Leverkusen slipped to sixth last term and have handed the reins to new coach Carles Martínez to push the Werkself back toward the top four, while Union limped home 11th on 39 points and turned to Mauro Lustrinelli for a more attacking identity. Pre-season form leans toward the hosts. Leverkusen beat Newcastle United, Sevilla and Genk, despite an alarming 7-0 loss to Brentford along the way, while Union lost three of five friendlies, including a 4-2 defeat to Ipswich Town in which new signing Zeno van den Bosch scored. Watch for Leverkusen's Ibrahim Maza, sharp in preseason, alongside striker Patrik Schick and new captain Edmond Tapsoba. Historically, Leverkusen have dominated this pairing, winning 9 of the last 16 meetings to Union's 2, with 5 draws. Our prediction: 2-0