The first leg at Bay Arena last week ended in a 1-1 draw, after Leverkusen striker Florian Writz's 82nd-minute effort canceled out Victor Boniface's opener six minutes into the second half.
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Union SG will host Bayer Leverkusen in the second leg of their UEFA Europa League quarter-final tie at Lotto Park on Thursday. The first leg at Bay Arena last week ended in a 1-1 draw, after Leverkusen striker Florian Writz’s 82nd-minute effort canceled out Victor Boniface’s opener six minutes into the second half. Meanwhile, the hosts are heading into the match on the back of a 2-1 win over RFC Seraing in the Belgian top flight on Sunday, while Xabi Alonso’s side were held to a 0-0 Bundesliga-draw away to Wolfsburg.
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Having been on the cusp on relegation to the Belgian third tier only three seasons ago, Union SG’s rise under the ownership of Tony Bloom in recent years has been remarkable. Les Unionistes are currently occupying second spot in the Belgian top flight standings, having taken 72 points from 33 games, just two shy of leaders Genk. Their latest success came against RFS Seraing courtesy of first-half goals from Simon Adingra and Yorbe Vertessen. The result extended their unbeaten run to nine games across all competitions, winning six matches in the process. Karel Geraerts’s side missed out on reaching the Champions League group stage after losing out to Rangers in the qualifying round, but they have been very impressive in the Europa League, finishing on top of Group D, before defeating Union Berlin 6-3 in the two legged last-16 tie to reach this far.
Bayer Leverkusen, on the other hand, are going through a remarkable revival under the stewardship of Spanish tactician Alonso. After struggling at the bottom half of the Bundesliga table at the start of the season, the Eternal Birdesmaids have turned their fortunes in the last couple of months, and are currently sitting at the sixth spot in the German top flight standings. Leverkusen have only been beaten once in nine away trips in all competitions since returning to action from the World cup break in January. Meanwhile, Alonso’s side are unbeaten in their last 11 matches in all competitions, while winning eight matches and kept four clean sheets in that period.
Union SG probable starting lineup: Moris, Kandouss, Burgess, Machida, Niewkoop, Amani, Lynen, Teuma, Lapoussin, Adingra, Boniface
Bayer Leverkusen probable starting lineup: Hradecky, Kossounou, Tah, Tapsoba, Frimpong, Andrich, Demirbay, Hincapie, Diaby, Wirtz, Adli
Union SG
| Opponents | Score |
| Seraing | 2-1 (W) |
| Bayer Leverkusen | 1-1 (D) |
| Gent | 1-1 (D) |
| St. Truiden | 2-1 (W) |
| KV Mechelen | 2-1 (W) |
Bayer Leverkusen
| Opponents | Score |
| Wolfsburg | 0-0 (D) |
| Union SG | 1-1 (D) |
| Eintracht Frankfurt | 3-1 (W) |
| Schalke | 0-3 (W) |
| Bayern Munich | 2-1 (W) |
| Last match-result | Score |
| Bayer Leverkusen draw Union SG | 1-1 |
The Europa League match between Union SG and Bayer Leverkusen will take place at Lotto Park on Friday at 12:30 am IST.
| Union SG vs Bayer Leverkusen | Key Details |
| Date | April 20 |
| Venue | Lotto Park |
| Kickoff time in Belgium | 9:00 pm (Thursday) |
| Kickoff time in Germany | 9:00 pm (Thursday) |
| Kickoff time in India | 12:30 am (Friday) |
Football fans in Belgium can catch the live action via Sporza and Tipik, while those in Germany cane watch the match on TRL network.
