Bayer Leverkusen face pressure after Marseille defeat

"I do think that we have to worry," Robert Andrich said after Bayer Leverkusen's 0-1 defeat to Marseille in the Europa League. The result at Bayer Leverkusen vs Marseille was their first loss in Europe this season, but it also fit a wider run that has gone badly wrong. Three of their last four competitive matches have been lost.

Andrich's warning after the Marseille loss

Andrich did not stop at the scoreline. "That is not our standard at all," he said, adding that good football does not count for much without results. On the same night, goalkeeper Mark Flekken said, "There is pressure on us if we do not pick up points in three games."

That is the uncomfortable part for Leverkusen. They are still alive in Europe with a 3 wins, 1 loss record, but the domestic run is already dragging harder. In the Bundesliga they have lost two matches in a row and sit on 13 points after 8 games.

The derby at Köln comes fast

Sunday's trip to 1. FC Köln is not a backdrop, it is the next pressure point. Köln are 13th and have been uneven themselves, but Leverkusen are the side carrying the louder alarm after this week. Andrich said, "Now you have to go into the derby, and there it is burning," while Flekken added, "We now have to find the switch very quickly."

The derby kicks off on 2026-11-08 at 15:30 local time. Leverkusen need a response there, because the warning signs are already stacked up.