Carles Martinez says Bayer Leverkusen must improve collectively after conceding nine goals in their past three Bundesliga matches, with their perfect Europa League record at stake against Marseille on Thursday.
Leverkusen are second in the 36-team Europa League table after winning their opening three matches. Olympiacos, Ferencvaros, Bournemouth and Benfica are the only other sides with 100% records, while Marseille have claimed six points from their first three games.
Martinez’s team have also gone unbeaten in their past 10 home matches in the competition, winning seven and drawing three. They have scored an average of 2.6 goals per game during that run.
Their attacking numbers have been among the strongest in this season’s Europa League. Leverkusen lead the competition for expected goals, with an xG total of 11, and have registered the most shots, with 72. Their 33 efforts on target are joint-top.
However, their Bundesliga form has exposed problems at the other end of the pitch. Leverkusen have conceded 16 goals in the top flight this season, with only five teams allowing more.
They remain the only side yet to concede in the 2026-27 Europa League and have scored eight times in the tournament. Martinez believes defensive improvement cannot be left solely to the back line.
“We’ve had a lot of clean sheets but have conceded a lot of goals in other games,” Martinez told reporters.
“That’s partly due to the defence, but you have to look at football as a whole; everyone plays together. It’s very important to keep that in mind.”
The manager said Marseille would provide a demanding test after making several changes during the summer.
“Clearly, Marseille are a great team and I know that there have been many changes this summer: a new coach and new players,” he added.
“They are improving, and we have the utmost respect for them. We must give our best performance to secure a victory.”
Marseille arrive at the BayArena having lost their past five major European matches, scoring only once across those games. It is their longest losing sequence since an eight-match run between October 2018 and November 2020, although they are 12th in the Europa League standings before matchday four.
The Ligue 1 club have lost 10 of their past 12 major European games against German opponents, with one victory and one draw. Their only win in that period came against RB Leipzig, a 5-2 success in April 2018.
Leverkusen have never played Marseille in European competition. They also lost their most recent European home fixture against French opposition, suffering a 7-2 defeat by Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League in October 2025.
Facundo Medina said Leverkusen’s organisation and experience would make the match difficult.
“They are a well-organised team with a lot of experienced players,” Medina said.
“It is going to be a tough match, very physical, but if we go out on to the pitch with the right mentality and ambition we can get the three points.”
