Xabi Alonso’s men arrived in the capital on a high after scoring 10 times across a pair of emphatic victories since the international break, and they picked up where they left off in midweek to race into an early lead here.
Less than two minutes were on the clock when Jonathan Tah’s searching long ball caught the Union defence sleeping, allowing Alejandro Grimaldo to race in behind and square for Jeremie Frimpong to turn home.
Die Werkself had surrendered the lead to drop points in each of their previous three Bundesliga away games, so Union were far from out of the contest despite the visitors' early dominance.
And so it proved, as on the half-hour mark Union ended a four-match scoring drought to restore parity. Benedict Hollerbach burst through the Leverkusen defence into the left channel and cut back for Jeong Woo-yeong to steer home off the inside of the post.
With Victor Boniface out injured and Florian Wirtz on the bench, Leverkusen’s lack of cutting edge was evident as they aimed to get back in front.
Unsurprisingly, Alonso turned to Wirtz in search of a spark, and the German gem soon provided one as the defending champions edged ahead for the second time.
Allowed too much time and space in the right channel, Wirtz delivered a wicked cross that was turned home at the back post by the chest of Patrik Schick, who marked his 100th Bundesliga appearance for Leverkusen by scoring for a fourth successive club match.
A second fightback looked to be a tall order for a Union side who score so few goals, but Leverkusen’s shakiness on the road meant the hosts retained hope.
However, Alonso’s men were able to comfortably keep Union at bay to see out a crucial victory that lifts them into the Bundesliga’s top three. It’s disappointment for Die Eisernen though, as they slump to an eighth successive head-to-head without a win and drop into the bottom half of the table as a result.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Alejandro Grimaldo (Bayer Leverkusen)
