Bundesliga Tips: Back BayArena battle to feature goals

• Leverkusen and Leipzig have played out recent classics

• Union can make quality gap count against St Pauli

• Goals on the menu in Frankfurt and Stuttgart

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Sparks to fly in heavyweight clash

Bayer Leverkusen v RB Leipzig
Saturday 31 August, 17:30
Live on Sky Sports

If anyone thought Bayer Leverkusen were going to suffer a hangover after last season's heroics, there has been no evidence so far to support those claims. Three games across three competitions have yielded three victories, and the summer dismantling of the team that some expected simply hasn't happened. All of the key players have been retained, although at time of writing there were still concerns over whether defensive chief Jonathan Tah might head to Barcelona.

Bayer haven't been perfect. They conceded twice in the Supercup in a 2-2 draw with Stuttgart (Bayer won on penalties), and they needed a last-kick winner from Florian Wirtz to secure a 3-2 derby win at Borussia Mönchengladbach in their Bundesliga opener, and they underwhelmed in a 1-0 DFB Pokal win at lower-league Carl Zeiss Jena. However, Die Werkself still haven't lost a domestic game since May 2023, and coach Xabi Alonso is sticking to the gameplan that has worked so well.

RB Leipzig start this campaign full of optimism. They were able to retain the services of loan star Xavi for another season, and their stellar front two of Lois Openda and Benjamin Sesko have stayed put. Dani Olmo made a big-money move to Barcelona, but that was fully anticipated, and his potential replacement Antonio Nusa managed to score with his first touch in both of his appearances. Leipzig won 1-0 against Bochum last weekend, and survived the late dismissal of defensive rock Willi Orban.

I fancy Over 3.5 Goals here at 2.3211/8. Both of last season's meetings ended 3-2 to Leverkusen, Orban's suspension hurts the Leipzig rearguard, and the distracted Tah could contribute to defensive uncertainty for the champions. Although Bayer had the best defensive record in the league last term, they kept one clean sheet across their eight games against Bayern, Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig and Stuttgart.

Svensson to enjoy home debut

Union Berlin v St Pauli
Friday 30 August, 19:30
Live on Sky Sports

It's been a summer of change at Union Berlin. Former Mainz boss Bo Svensson has come in to pick up the coaching reins after last season's chaos, while the experienced Horst Heldt is the new sporting director. Union hope for a less fraught campaign this time around, having only avoided a relegation play-off with a winning goal right at the end of their final match.

The early signs are promising. Union edged out lower-league Greifswalder without too much trouble in the DFB Pokal, and then came from behind to draw 1-1 at Svensson's former club Mainz. Given how good the ZeroFivers have been on home soil in 2024, that was a creditable result.

St Pauli's return to the Bundesliga after a 13-year absence fell flat last weekend, as they lost 2-0 at home to Heidenheim, and it's bound to take a while to adjust to the summer loss of coach Fabian Hürzeler to Brighton. Hürzeler was the true star of the promotion season, so his replacement Alexander Blessin has big boots to fill.

Union fans do an excellent job of creating a powerful atmosphere, especially when the floodlights are on. With Svensson taking charge of a home game for the first time, it could be a special night, and despite their struggles Union have actually won six of their last 11 league matches in Köpenick.

I'll back the hosts to win at a generous 2.0621/20.

Goals galore in Frankfurt and Stuttgart

I'm going to use the Sportsbook's facility to combine bets from multiple matches to create a BTTS double involving the games in Frankfurt and Stuttgart.

Eintracht Frankfurt and Hoffenheim have plenty of firepower between them, and the visitors' Andre Kramaric has scored back-to-back hat-tricks. He fired in three goals in the Matchday One victory over Holstein Kiel, and also netted three times in a dramatic win over Bayern Munich at the end of last term. Frankfurt won both meetings 3-1 last term, and a BTTS bet has landed in their last eight Bundesliga clashes.

Stuttgart are still adjusting to life after the departure of their defensive boss Waldemar Anton. New signing Jeff Chabot is an excellent defender, but it'll take time for him to gel with his new teammates. Stuttgart conceded twice in the Supercup at Bayer Leverkusen, and fell to a 3-1 defeat at Freiburg last weekend.

Mainz are a pretty attack-minded side under coach Bo Henriksen, and they have found the net at least once in 16 of their last 17 competitive matches. In that spell, they have kept just four clean sheets.

The BTTS double pays out at 2.245/4.

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