Bayer Leverkusenvs
Union BerlinUnion Berlin came to the BayArena with a decent run of form behind them — four games without a loss — and left having been taken apart from the first minute to the last. Bayer Leverkusen were simply on a different level Saturday, and the 4-0 scoreline was not flattering.
Ezequiel Fernández opened it in the 1st minute, which is about as early as these things can go wrong for a visiting side. Miguel Gutiérrez picked him out, Fernández finished, and Union were immediately in a hole they never had the tools to climb out of. The yellow card for Felix Uduokhai in the 4th minute told you everything about the visitors' mood: rattled, scrambling, already chasing.
Leverkusen controlled the half the way you'd expect a side that finished with 64% possession and 580 passes to control it — patiently, relentlessly, without ever letting Union breathe. Gutiérrez was everywhere, and he made it count again in the 28th minute, delivering the cross that Facundo Medina met with a header to double the lead. Cabal, that was the half over as a contest.
The Second Half Was a Formality
Union came out for the restart and immediately gave up a third. Jarell Quansah set up Patrik Schick in the 48th minute — just three minutes after Zeno Van Den Bosch had been booked — and whatever slim hope the visitors were carrying into the break was gone. Their goalkeeper made six saves on the night; the fact that Leverkusen only put ten of their 21 shots on frame is the one small mercy Union can point to.
The fourth arrived in the 66th minute, Schick turning provider this time, teeing up Ibrahim Maza to finish. El chispudo de Maza, always finding the right moment. He picked up a yellow card in the 88th minute, but by then the game had long since been settled.
Gutiérrez also saw yellow in the 61st minute, though it cost Leverkusen nothing. He'd already done the damage — two assists and a performance that will have people talking.
The numbers back up what the eye test said:
- Shots: Leverkusen 21, Union Berlin 5
- Shots on target: Leverkusen 10, Union Berlin 0
- Corners: Leverkusen 11, Union Berlin 1
- Saves: Leverkusen 0, Union Berlin 6
Zero shots on target for Union. Not one. Our pre-match read made Leverkusen the favorite at 69%, and they left absolutely no doubt.
The question now is how long Leverkusen can sustain this kind of performance. The BayArena has seen some dominant nights, and this ranks among them. For Union Berlin, the film session is going to be uncomfortable — they were outrun, outpassed, and outthought in every phase. A rebuild of confidence starts immediately.
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