Point apiece for Union Berlin and Bayer Leverkusen in European qualification battle
Neither Union Berlin nor Bayer Leverkusen were able to find the net in a keenly contested encounter of two top-six sides in the German capital.
Union Berlin 0-0 Bayer Leverkusen
Union had the Stadion An der Alten Försterei roaring them on in the key battle of the European qualification contenders. Sheraldo Becker smashed the first shot of the game on target but was unable to guide the ball past Lukas Hradecky from 25 yards out. Becker had another opening minutes later, but Odilon Kossounou slid in to stop him. Jordan then sent a near-post header wide as the hosts continued their good start. Leverkusen dominated possession, and after riding out the early pressure, Florian Wirtz slipped the ball to Moussa Diaby, who blasted over in their first opening. Things tailed off after the lively start, with Leverkusen unable to turn their control of the ball into clear chances, and Union struggling to pick a way through the visitors’ defence.
The second half began in promising fashion, with Jeremie Frimpong and Aissa Laidouni trading off-target efforts. The game soon regained its cagey flavour, however, with Union going closer to breaking the deadlock as Becker fired wide on the hour-mark. Mitchel Bakker then made a vital intervention to turn over the bar when a Jerome Rousillon ball across the goalmouth was otherwise destined to be bundled in at the far post by Jordan. Leverkusen continued to pass the ball forward without a great impact as the chances dried up at both ends of the field. A Bakker header from a Frimpong cross comfortably saved by Frederik Rönnow was the closest either side got in the final phase as the encounter ended goalless.
Match stats
- Rönnow kept his 10th clean sheet of the season in the Union goal.
- Union are unbeaten on home turf in the Bundesliga in their last 21 outings. This equals the club record set between October 2020 and October 2021.
- Urs Fischer's side are currently enjoying their best-ever top-flight campaign with 56 points from 30 games. They are now just one behind their best overall points record (57) for a single Bundesliga season.
- Jonathan Tah had more touches on the ball than any other player on the field - 119. He also had the best passing accuracy ratio of 98 percent.
- Leverkusen are unbeaten in their last 14 competitive games, winning 10 and drawing four.
- Leverkusen have kept three consecutive clean sheets in the Bundesliga for the first time in seven years.
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Teams
Union: Ronnow - Doekhi, Knoche, Leite - Juranovic, Laidouni (Schäfer 69'), Khedira (c), Haberer (Thorsby 78'), Roussillon (Gießelmann 90') - Becker, Jordan (Michel 78')
Unused subs: Grill, Jaeckel, Trimmel, Pantovic, Leweling
Out: Behrens (suspended)
Coach: Urs Fischer
Leverkusen: Hradecky (c) - Kossounou, Tah, Tapsoba, Hincapie - Andrich - Frimpong, Wirtz, Bakker - Diaby (Adli 62'), Hlozek (Azmoun 62')
Unused subs: Pentz, Sinkgraven, Fosu-Mensah, Demirbay, Mbamba, Azhil, Bellarabi
Out: Amiri (suspended), Lunev (back), Palacios (hamstring), Schick (groin)
Coach: Xabi Alonso
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