Buy Bayer Leverkusen vs Union Berlin tickets for Saturday 5 September 2026, kicking off at 15:30 at the BayArena. This is matchday two of the 2026/27 Bundesliga season, in the traditional Saturday afternoon slot, and it carries a record that is close to unique in the division. Union have played seven league matches at this ground and have never won one. They have also never scored in front of a crowd here.
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That second detail is not a turn of phrase. All three goals Union have managed at this stadium came in the two matches played behind closed doors during the pandemic, in May 2021 and January 2022. In the five meetings with spectators present they have not scored at all, and Bayer Leverkusen home fixtures filled 99.4 per cent of a 30,210-capacity ground last season.
This page covers what seats actually cost, how the four stands and their block codes work, where the visiting section sits, how Leverkusen's members-first sale operates and what the record between these two really shows once it is scoped to this ground.
Start with a genuinely useful piece of good news. Leverkusen operate a two-tier opponent pricing system, and the higher band applies to only four visitors: Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, FC Koln and Schalke. Everything else, Union Berlin included, sits on the standard band, where a place on the terrace has a face value of 17 euros and a seat runs from 36 to 65.
The sales structure follows the same logic. High-demand fixtures at this ground are carved up by how long you have been a member, with newer members restricted to two blocks. Union are not on that list for 2026/27, so every member could buy anywhere in the ground, and the club lists this match among those where free public sale opens 24 hours after the members' window closes, the standing terrace excepted.
None of which makes it a soft ticket. The club sold 99.4 per cent of a full season in 2025/26 with the home sections at capacity throughout, the early-bird allocation for this fixture was gone by the end of July and purchases are capped at four per person. It is buyable rather than impossible, which is a different thing.
Union bring a real travelling support to balance it. They averaged around 3,100 supporters on the road last season, filling roughly 72 per cent of their away allocations, which is one of the higher figures in the league. German rules guarantee the visiting club at least 10 per cent of available capacity and require away prices to match the equivalent home category, so there is no premium either way.
The one wrinkle is that visiting tickets do not come from Leverkusen at all. The club states plainly that seats in the away section are available only through the visiting club, which for this fixture means Union rather than the BayArena box office.
Here, sometimes yes, which sets this fixture apart from most Bundesliga home matches. The club runs a members-first early-bird window and then opens whatever is left to the public 24 hours later for its lower-demand fixtures, and Union Berlin is explicitly on that list for 2026/27. The standing terrace is held back from that public phase, but the seated areas are not.
The members' window itself is worth understanding because it is unusually structured. Fixtures are released two or three a day across a week in late July and announced only through the club newsletter. Buyers must pre-authenticate with a six-digit code before a digital waiting room opens at 11:30. That waiting room admits people in random order, so arriving early gains you nothing.
Season tickets are a closed system. No new ones are sold at all, and releases go only through a waiting list open exclusively to existing members. Roughly 8,000 names were on it when it last opened publicly. From 2026/27 the club has also added a minimum-use rule: a season ticket used for fewer than ten of the seventeen home matches can be withdrawn for the following campaign.
One thing here works in a buyer's favour. Leverkusen state plainly that ordinary single-match tickets are transferable, unlike the personalised season cards, which makes a legitimate secondary route straightforward in a way it is not at several German grounds. The club is equally plain that its own exchange is the only authorised secondary market and that tickets from unauthorised platforms are invalid, so the source and the transfer route are what to check. Every listing on 1BoxOffice is verified before it goes live and carries a 150% money-back guarantee.
Five things move the number at the BayArena, and the first is the opponent band. Leverkusen apply their higher price level to four visitors only, and Union is not one of them, so this match sits on the standard tariff throughout.
Category is the second driver, and for 2026/27 the club expanded from four bands to six, which sharpens the spread between the terrace and the main stand. Demand is third and it is high in absolute terms even at standard prices. Timing is fourth, since a Saturday 15:30 kickoff is the most accessible slot in German football for a day trip from anywhere in the Rhineland. Hospitality is the fifth and it is the one area where the club publishes no prices at all.
Face value gives you a hard floor because Leverkusen publish the full grid. On the standard band a place on the north terrace costs 17 euros, category five is 36, category four 45, category three 55, category two 60 and category one 65. Children in the family blocks pay 7 euros. For comparison, the four top-band fixtures push category one to 87 euros, so this sits firmly in the lower-priced half of the calendar.
| Ticket Type | Resale Price Range | Best For | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kategorie VI, Nordkurve terrace | £25 – £50 | Supporters who want the singing end at the lowest price | A face value of 17 euros makes this among the least expensive routes into any top-division ground in Europe; standing throughout, and it is held back from the public sales phase |
| Kategorie V, outer and upper areas | £40 – £75 | Buyers who want a seat without paying for position | The lowest-priced seated band at 36 euros; upper tiers are reached by stairs only, with no lifts anywhere in the ground |
| Kategorie III and IV, side and corner | £60 – £110 | First visits wanting a clean view of play | The strongest value bracket here; every seat in the ground is covered and none is more than 94 metres from the centre spot |
| Kategorie I and II, central | £85 – £150 | Proximity to the halfway line | The top general bands on the standard tariff, at 60 and 65 euros face value |
| Hospitality packages | £250 – £700+ | Corporate guests and hosted groups | Leverkusen publish names but no prices for any package, so confirm inclusions and cost directly before comparing |
Prices reflect typical resale ranges and may change as demand and availability shift closer to the match.
The ground opened in August 1958 as the Ulrich-Haberland-Stadion, named after the man who ran Bayer AG, and took its current name in 1998. The rebuild that defines it began in December 2007 and was severe: home matches were played with no roof at all in autumn 2008 and moved to Düsseldorf entirely in spring 2009, before it reopened in August 2009 with a single continuous roof and the 30,210 capacity it holds today. Every seat in the ground was replaced with new folding seats over the summer of 2026, the first change in seventeen years.
Block codes follow the stand letter. The north uses SE, SD and SC for the terrace and C, D and E for the tiers above it. The east runs B1 to B9, the west F1 to F9 and the south H1 to H4 with the family corner at A1 to A5, while the visiting section uses SG and G. Check the BayArena seating plan against any listing before you commit, and browse wider availability across the season on the BayArena tickets page.
| Area | What It Suits | Pricing Bracket | Guidance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nordkurve terrace, SE, SD and SC blocks | Supporters who want to stand and sing | Lowest | Eleven standing blocks sold as category six; the SD blocks are the organised core, home to Ultras Leverkusen and the wider Nordkurve12 grouping |
| Nordkurve lower seating, D blocks | The same end from a seat | Lower to mid | Formally redefined as an active seated section from 2021/22 and run to the same conventions as the terrace, so expect standing and flags for ninety minutes |
| Westtribüne, F blocks | Buyers who want the halfway line and the dugouts | Highest general admission | The main stand, with F1 to F4 at pitch level; F1 also holds the seats reserved for deaf and hard-of-hearing supporters |
| Osttribüne, B blocks | First visits wanting the fullest view of play | Mid | The opposite long side, B1 to B4 below and B5 to B9 above; the Schwadbud bar sits inside this stand and opens two hours before kickoff |
| Südtribüne and family blocks A1 to A5 | Parents bringing children | Lower to mid | Children pay 7 euros in the family blocks on this price band; the accessible and Big-and-Tall seating sits alongside in H2, H3 and H4 |
| Away section, SG1 to SG3 and G4 to G5 | Union Berlin supporters | Matches the equivalent home category | South-west corner with its own entrance and service point, standing in the SG blocks and seated in G4 and G5; sold only through Union rather than by Leverkusen |
Neutral buyers and anyone undecided should look at the Osttribüne or the outer west blocks. Both give a clean view of play, both are covered like everywhere else in the ground and neither puts you inside the active north end where standing is the expectation. One practical warning applies across the whole stadium: the upper tiers are reached by stairs only and there are no lifts anywhere, which matters more than usual here.
Accessible provision is unusually thorough and worth setting out. There are 58 wheelchair spaces in the south stand, each with a companion seat, plus 18 seats for blind and partially sighted supporters with live commentary delivered to a socket at the seat. A further 24 seats are set aside for deaf supporters, served by a sign-language interpreter from half an hour before kickoff. The club also passes five wheelchair tickets, two blind and two deaf tickets to the visiting club every match, which is more than the rules require of it.
Hospitality here is spread across all four stands and sold through the club's commercial agency rather than an online shop, which means names are published but prices are not. Compare on what each area actually is, and get a quote before assuming any of it is out of reach.
| Hospitality Option | Typical Buyer | Main Appeal |
|---|---|---|
| Premium-Lounge VIP West | Corporate guests wanting the flagship area | The largest premium space in the ground, on the main-stand side, with a bar area, individual company tables, a buffet and its own reception |
| 19nullvier-Lounge VIP West | Networking groups and clients | A smaller lounge in the same stand themed in the club's colours, with seating, tables, a buffet and a separate entrance |
| Logen VIP Ost and VIP Süd | Companies hosting a private group | Enclosed boxes with their own seats immediately outside; the southern boxes run to roughly 70 square metres with conference facilities for year-round use |
| Eventloge VIP Nord | Groups who want the atmosphere rather than the quiet | A box inside the hotel built into the north stand, directly in front of the home singing section; opening the upper glass panels effectively puts you inside the terrace |
Two practical notes. Because the ground is small by Bundesliga standards, premium inventory is limited and clears earlier than the general bands rather than later. Parking passes for the lots beside the stadium are also tied to premium tickets, which is the only way to park close on a matchday.
Leverkusen have been moving steadily towards app-only entry. Recent home fixtures have been issued exclusively through the club app under a My Tickets section, with no print-at-home option and no shareable links, while earlier matches allowed a wallet download or a printed sheet. Check which applies to this fixture on its own ticket page rather than assuming, and read the listing note before you pay.
| Delivery Type | What to Check |
|---|---|
| App ticket | Held in the club app against the account email. Confirm with the seller how the ticket reaches you, because this format cannot simply be forwarded as a file |
| Wallet or print-at-home PDF | Used on some fixtures rather than all. Print legibly on A4 or download the pass before you travel, and note that this is the route that needs the free travel ticket fetched separately |
| Season card handover | Season cards here are personalised, unlike ordinary day tickets. Confirm the arrangement and whether the card has to be returned |
| Local collection on the day | Used where a physical handover is needed. Service points sit at the east, west and visiting entrances and open when the stadium does |
Three things apply whatever the route. Carry photo identification, because the holder can be asked to produce it and any concession ticket is checked against matching proof at the turnstile. Charge the phone if your ticket is digital. Confirm the transfer arrangement in the listing note before you pay.
The ground is cashless with one odd and useful exception. Card and phone payments work everywhere inside, American Express is not accepted, and drinks come in reusable cups against a deposit. The exception is the bag drop: bags larger than A4 are refused at the turnstile, but the service points at the east, west and visiting entrances will take one for a single euro in cash, held from stadium opening until 45 minutes after the final whistle. That is genuinely worth knowing if you are arriving with luggage.
Travel is included and this is the detail visitors get wrong most often. A match ticket covers free public transport across the wider regional networks, but since 2024/25 the ticket is not itself a travel pass. You have to download a separate free travel ticket for each match through the app, or fetch it online using the six-digit ticket code with your name and date of birth. Do it before you set off, not on the platform.
Turnstiles open two hours before kickoff, so 13:30 for this fixture. Leverkusen Mitte station is about twenty minutes on foot and is served by regional express and S-Bahn services from both Cologne and Düsseldorf, though it is not yet step-free; the Chempark stop on the same line is the accessible route, with wheelchair-friendly shuttle buses. Drivers should use the free shuttle car parks at Kurtekotten, where buses run from two hours before the match and wait until two hours after it.
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Step1
Open the fixture page
Start on the listing page for this specific match rather than a general Bundesliga search. Leverkusen price on two bands and this fixture sits on the lower one, so comparisons against a Bayern or Dortmund game will mislead you.
Step2
Set up your account
You can browse without one, but you will need to create an account to complete a purchase. Having it ready saves the minutes that matter when a seated block opens up.
Step3
Filter by quantity first
Set the number of seats before you look at price. The club caps its own buyers at four tickets for this fixture, which shapes what reaches any secondary listing.
Step4
Decode the block letter
The letter tells you the stand: F is the main stand, B the opposite side and H and A the south. Anything starting with S is either the north terrace or the visiting corner.
Step5
Read the listing notes
Notes carry the detail that decides whether a listing works: delivery format, transfer arrangement, whether the seats sit in the active north end and whether they are genuinely together.
Step6
Compare on the total
Fees and delivery appear at the final stage. With face values this low, fees make up a larger share of the total than at a big-ticket fixture, so rank on the end figure.
Step7
Complete the purchase
Pay through the secure checkout and keep the confirmation email. It carries the reference you will need for any question about delivery.
Step8
Follow delivery through to arrival
Use track order to see where your tickets are at any point. Electronic delivery for German league fixtures often completes in the final week, and that is normal rather than a warning sign.
Leverkusen is one of the easiest German away days to reach because it barely requires you to stay there. The town sits between Cologne and Düsseldorf with both airports within half an hour, and the same rail line serves the ground from either city, so most visitors base themselves in Cologne and travel out. If you want both halves of the fixture rather than one, the return meeting is covered on the Union Berlin vs Bayer Leverkusen tickets page.
Two things shape an international booking here. Ordinary day tickets are transferable, which makes the paperwork simpler than at several German grounds, but you should still confirm the delivery format through the listing before you pay because the club has been moving fixtures to app-only entry. German kickoff times for the opening matchdays are also fixed early and rarely move, so this one is safer to book flights around than most. Basing yourself in Cologne has the added advantage that the RheinEnergieSTADION is a short ride from the same station.
Union reached the Bundesliga in 2019 and came here for the first time that September, losing 2-0. Seven seasons later the pattern has not shifted: four defeats, three draws, no wins, and a goal difference of 3-16 in Leverkusen's favour. It is one of the most one-sided records any current Bundesliga pairing has at a single ground.
The three goals are the strange part. All of them arrived in the two matches played in an empty stadium during the pandemic. A 1-1 on 15 May 2021 secured Leverkusen's European qualification for the following season, and a 2-2 on 8 January 2022 is the only occasion Union have led at this ground, pegged back by an equaliser six minutes from time.
Since crowds returned they have not scored here at all. A 5-0 in November 2022 remains the record score in the series, and it came with the table upside down: Union were third that weekend and Leverkusen fourteenth. The 4-0 a year later was Leverkusen's seventh consecutive league win on the way to an unbeaten title, and the two meetings since have finished 0-0 and 2-0.
The honours boards explain a good deal of the gap, though less than you might think. Leverkusen won their first German championship only in 2023/24, taking it alongside the cup for a domestic double and finishing the league season unbeaten, 28 wins and six draws from 34 matches for 90 points. Before that they had two cup wins, in 1993 and 2024, and the 1988 UEFA Cup, plus a Champions League final in 2002.
Union have won nothing at national level. They reached a German cup final in 2001 and lost it, and their one trophy is the East German cup of 1968, taken more than two decades before reunification. They have only been a Bundesliga club since 2019 at all, which makes seven visits to one ground a substantial share of their entire top-flight history.
The current positions are closer than the record suggests. Leverkusen finished sixth in 2025/26 with 59 points, going out of the Champions League in the round of 16 and the cup at the semi-final stage, and they are in the Europa League this season. Union finished eleventh with 39 points and are not in Europe.
All figures below cover Bundesliga meetings at the BayArena with Bayer Leverkusen as the home side, from Union's promotion to the top flight in 2019. The two DFB-Pokal ties played at this ground, in 2017 and 2020, are excluded along with the 2003 cup meeting in Berlin and all seven reverse league fixtures.
| Metric | Total |
|---|---|
| Matches played | 7 |
| Leverkusen wins | 4 |
| Union Berlin wins | 0 |
| Draws | 3 |
| Leverkusen goals | 16 |
| Union Berlin goals | 3 |
| Biggest Leverkusen win | 5-0 |
| Biggest Union Berlin win | None recorded |
| First Bundesliga meeting in scope | 21 September 2019 |
| Most recent meeting in scope | 4 October 2025 |
Source: both clubs' published match records and German league results archives, each figure calculated from the match-by-match data below. All three Union goals at this ground came in the two matches played without spectators.
Newest first, with Leverkusen listed as the home side in every score. Seven matches, one in each season since Union reached the Bundesliga.
| Date | Score |
|---|---|
| 4 Oct 2025 | 2-0 |
| 12 Apr 2025 | 0-0 |
| 12 Nov 2023 | 4-0 |
| 6 Nov 2022 | 5-0 |
| 8 Jan 2022 | 2-2 |
| 15 May 2021 | 1-1 |
| 21 Sep 2019 | 2-0 |
Source: German league results archives and both clubs' published match records, each score confirmed against two independent sources. The 15 May 2021 and 8 January 2022 matches were both played without spectators under crowd restrictions.
Not necessarily. Members buy first in an early-bird window, but this fixture is one the club opens to free public sale a day later, with the standing terrace held back. Verified resale covers it if that window has already passed.
In the south-west corner, standing in three blocks and seated in two more, with a separate entrance and service point. Those seats are sold only by Union, never by Leverkusen.
Yes across the wider regional networks, but the match ticket is no longer a travel pass in itself. A separate free travel ticket has to be downloaded for each match before you set off.
Eleven blocks across the lower north end, plus three blocks of the visiting section. The seated rows immediately above the north terrace are also run as an active area, so they are not a quiet alternative.
Nothing larger than A4, and no rucksacks. Anything bigger can be handed in at a service point for one euro in cash, which is the only thing inside the stadium that cash will buy.
Sources: the club's official ticketing, stadium, accessibility, payment and travel pages, its published price grids for the 2026/27 season, the DFL competition regulations and their annexed guidelines at the March 2026 revision covering away allocations and price parity, the league's scheduling releases for the opening matchdays, regional transport authority information and German league results archives. Pricing reflects observed resale ranges rather than face-value guarantees.