Bayer Leverkusen will look to recover from their opening defeat in the Bundesliga when they host Union Berlin at BayArena on Saturday. Leverkusen faced a surprising 3-2 loss to Elversberg last weekend, placing them in 12th position with no points. In contrast, Union Berlin sits ninth after managing a 3-3 draw with Eintracht Frankfurt on August 29. Fans of Leverkusen had hoped the new season would mark a fresh start after a tumultuous 2025-26 campaign, but the loss to the newly-promoted Elversberg raised concerns. The team fell behind 3-0 before scoring their first goal in the 77th minute, with defensive lapses early in the match being particularly troubling. Coach Carles Martinez's squad is currently winless in their last three Bundesliga outings, which include two losses and one draw. However, he deserves some time to implement his vision, having only taken over in June. On a positive note, Leverkusen achieved a convincing 4-0 win against Wehen in the DFB-Pokal's first round on August 22, and they have scored two or more goals in four of their last six competitive matches. The team will be eager for a better outcome at BayArena, especially considering their struggles at home last season, where they finished with five draws, two losses, and just two wins in their last nine matches. Union Berlin has shown resilience, notably coming back from a 3-1 deficit to earn a point against Frankfurt. However, they will hope that Tim Skarke won't need to score last-minute equalisers every match. Currently, Die Eisernen are unbeaten in their last five games across all competitions, securing three victories, with their sole win this season being a 4-2 triumph over Braunschweig in the DFB-Pokal on August 23.